Night Watchmen 05: Days of Futures Not
by Ironbear
Summary: Badly needing a vacation from their summer vacation, Xander, Cordelia and Faith take a trip to Cordy's lake house while the Gang works on setting up the training area and Giles follows up on Council business. Of course, nothing is ever that simple...
1. Prologue: Arrivals and Negotiations

_**An Alternate BtVS Season 3:**_**"Mortal Friends; Mortal Foes"**

_**Author:**_ Sherman Barnes aka "Ironbear"

_**Disclaimer:**_ _Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel the Series, and all characters from those series belong to Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox Television, Kuzui Enterprises, UPN, Warner Brothers, and David Greenwalt Productions. I'm only borrowing them for the purposes of fanfiction, and only the plot and storyline, and those characters of my own creation belong to me. No profit is being made from this endeavor. Faith's back story draws __loosely__ from that shown in "Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary" by Robert Joseph Levy; Simon Spotlight Entertainment. Episode events and episode dialog quotes, where used, are drawn from the transcripts and summaries at , Wikipedia, and the shooting scripts at (/buffyverse.asp)_

_**Author's Note: **__What if Faith had arrived earlier in Sunnydale and Buffy had returned a month later? What if the Mayor had had a slightly different goal? What if Spike never made it out of town following the love spell disaster, but met a different fate? Just how far apart is the line between "good slayer' and "evil slayer"? Diverges drastically from canon in many places, especially following "Lover's Walk" and "Bad Girls"._

_**Synopsis:**_ _Badly needing a vacation from their summer vacation, Xander, Cordelia and Faith take a trip to Cordy's lake house while Giles, Oz, and Willow work on setting up the training area and Giles follows up on some Council business. _

**_Word Count:_ **29,309_ total. _28,371_ sans Disclaimer, Previouslies, and Credits._

**"Night Watchmen"**

_**A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Alternate Season 3 Prequel**_

_**Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer:**_

_Sunnydale: The vamp stumbles slightly, grabbing Oz by the collar of his light jacket and peeling him off like a limpet, slamming a fist into the little musician's side and tossing him rolling. As Willow screams, Oz levers himself up to one knee and then groans, an arm clutched to his side. The accountant looking vamp spins on Cordelia, taking a long step forward - and the butt end of an arrow from Xander's air-rifle stands out from his back briefly before he bursts into dust with a wooshing sound. Xander falls back onto his elbow, groaning. "Jeeze," Faith manages finally to push herself all the way up on her feet and stand, swaying. "Who hit me with a bus?"_

_Sunnydale: "It's a drug for vampires," Nalia says, shrugging and tossing the packet back to Faith. "I believe it's called 'Rage' or 'Bloodrage'. From LA, originally. And I keep my nose carefully out of business that doesn't concern me - it's better for my health. I don't know who's started moving it here." Faith responds in a gentle tone, her eyes hard, "Better for your health can be relative... "_

_Los Angeles: __"Ah," Buffy nods. She feels heat at the back of her eyes and tries very hard to not let it spill to the surface. Pike continues, "My wife - Elena's mother - was killed by a vampire. And turned- I had to stake her myself." Pike shoves his hands in his pockets, looking as miserable as Buffy feels right then. "You - you __kill__ vampires. __We__ kill vampires, like at Hemery at the end. You're not supposed to fall in love with them," he says. The heat comes up to the surface anyway, and spilled overs. "I know!" Buffy brushes at her eyes irritably, "You think I __wanted__ to have a doomed love affair with a two-hundred and forty something year old vampire? You're not saying anything I haven't told myself over and over again during the last year..."_

_Sunnydale: __Faith kind of vaguely hears the goth vamp's voice drift over from near the alley mouth as she's shaking off the taser jolt. "If I'd wanted you dead, both of you would be. Think about it." Cordelia pushes herself up as Faith comes back from the mouth of the alley a few moments later, standing on shaky legs. She gives Faith a look of flat disbelief, "You're laughing? After that?" Faith shrugs, "Hey, I like her, what can I say? Girl's got attitude and moves." Cordelia says, shaking her head, "You are so very nuts." She started laughing, "It must be catching: I like her better as a vamp than I did as our resident psycho student."_

_Sunnydale: "Passing the buck back, huh?" Faith makes a face. She studies the faces of the rest of her companions, finally sighing heavily and turning to the goth vamp. "Take off. Don't make me regret it." With a nod, Shelia says, "We already had that talk. Don't see a need to rehash it." She walks over to the edge of the exit into the sewers, keeping her hands carefully away from her body. "Shelia," Faith calls out. The vampiress turns, looking at her. Taking a wrapped packet of bills from the bag Cordy'd given her, she tosses it to the goth vamp. "Blood money. Call it a start on your bankroll." Shelia tosses a grin at her, "Not a start, but it'll add to it." Sketching a salute with the packet, she jumps down the hole into the sewers. "We're going to have a long talk about this later, aren't we," Faith says, looking over to her Watcher. "Why yes, I do believe you're correct on that," Giles replies._

**...**

_**Prologue: Arrivals and Negotiations -**_

_**Thursday September 3, 1998; Santa Barbara, Lirio's mystical items, mid-afternoon.**_

Upon opening the door and entering, Rupert Giles paused to survey the interior of the shop before proceeding about his business. Bottles and jars of herbs and various other items filled rows of shelving along the sides while neat and well stocked rows of book racks containing an abundance of tomes filled the bulk of the store's main area. Additional glass fronted shelves behind the long counter contained rarer volumes, and tables and racks in various corners, nooks, and crannies were filled with candles, incense, and statuary. Beaded curtains in the doorways separated the main room from other rooms off to the sides and from what was presumably a back room and offices behind the counter.

Bemused, Giles stepped over to the counter to peer at the covers of the books in the back cases. He was intrigued to note the titles of several volumes that he'd been seeking for his own collection.

A rattling of beads drew his attention from the books. He turned slightly to see a striking looking woman in her late thirties or possibly her early forties come through the curtain from one of the side rooms. Giles gathered an impression of alert brown eyes and quiet power wrapped in a long, flowing dress as she entered the room.

"Good afternoon and welcome to Lirio's," she said, giving him an appraising look. "May I help you with something?"

"Quite possibly, madame," Giles said. He straightened to his full height under the woman's sharp gaze. "I, ah, would you perhaps be Lirio?"

"Why yes," she gave him a slightly bemused look, coming over to join him at the main counter.

"Excellent. My name is Rupert Giles," Giles stated, extending his hand. She took his between her own in a warm and surprisingly firm grasp, giving him a look of sharp interest. "I, ah... " he rather surprised himself by saying, "If it is not rude of me to remark upon it, I can't help but notice what a striking and lovely accent you have."

Sudden dimpling at her cheeks dropped perhaps five years from the woman as she smiled up at him. "Romanian, by way of Spain," she said. "My family moved there when I was perhaps twelve."

Giles nodded, "I must say that the two make for a remarkable mix," he said.

The dimples showed again. Cocking her head slightly, she released his hand, smiling at him, "And now that you have quite made my day and demonstrated that the British have not completely lost their charm, what is it that I may do for you, Mr. Giles?"

"Ah. Quite," Giles gathered his thoughts back to his business her, returning the smile. "Rupert, if you please," he said. "I am, ah, seeking a tutor in the mystic arts on behalf of a student of mine and you were recommended to me."

The intense gaze captured his again as she regarded him with interest. "While I do teach on occasion, I'm hardly renowned even in the local community among practitioners," she said. "May I ask who's recommendation brings you to me?"

"Indeed you may. Are you familiar with a woman by the name of Althenea, perchance?"

"I am," Lirio's gaze cooled slightly as she regarded him with a bit more intensity. "I must warn you: while I have a great deal of respect for Althenea and her Coven, I have little to none for the Council of Watchers and no interest whatsoever in being of assistance to them."

"Ah, yes." Giles shifted a bit uncomfortably. Removing his glasses, he took out his handkerchief to give them a quick polish as he studied her back. "May I ask why?"

"A group of stuffy old men hiding behind young women while sending them out to do battle," Lirio stated. "I find very little in the concept that endears me to be interested in working with them."

"Quite," Giles said. Replacing his glasses, he gave her a frank look. "That may not be a concern in this. The young student in question is more of a personal protege, not associated with the Council. I rather believe the Council would take a bit of a dim view of my efforts in this were they to become appraised of them."

"Indeed?" Giving him a searching look, she nodded after a moment, "You begin to interest me."

"Indeed," Giles said, dryly. "The Council tends to take a rather dim view of anything that steps outside of the normal boundaries of tradition, I fear."

"I'll make no promises to you, Rupert," Lirio stated. "However, you may tell me of your student and attempt to capture my interest further, if you wish."

"Thank you," Giles said. He stuck his hands in his pockets, regarding her carefully, "I must caution you: it is rather a long story, all in all, and I do not wish to interrupt your business more than necessary."

Giving him a smile and a sharp nod, she crossed to the door with quick strides, turning the sign to read 'Closed' and locking it. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No, I, ah, am afraid that I haven't as of yet." Giles blinked at her, slightly bemused.

"I'll make us some tea and you can have lunch with me then," she said, motioning towards the back behind the counter, "While you are telling me about your student."

**...**

_**Thursday September 3, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, late afternoon/early evening.**_

"Whoa," Faith said, almost reverently. "_That's_ your lake cabin? That's bigger than Joyce's _house,_ fer chrissakes." She leaned forward between the two front bucket seats as they pulled in under the carport, resting her arms on Cordelia and Xander's seat backs.

Cordelia grinned. "Ok, it's a lake house, if that makes you feel any better. "It's logs, some company called 'Log Castles' built it - _I_ call it a cabin." Unbuckling, she opened the driver's door to swing her legs out.

"Holy bucket seats of luxury, Batman," Xander remarked. "I didn't even know Mercedes _made_ SUVs."

"Brand new this year," Cordelia said. "Daddy got one as soon as they came out."

"Sure beats my dad's rattley old station wagon for vacation trips." Xander got out and stood looking around the area beyond the carport.

"I'm tellin' ya," Faith said as she slid out of her door and stood up to stretch, "You two guys get married, you're adopting me."

"Before or after the long, sinful road trip through Vegas and beyond?" Xander asked.

"After, natch," Faith shot him a grin. "Before'd be too much like incest." Twisting at the waist to work out the last of the kinks from the long drive, she added, "C'mon. I'll help you unload all our crap while Cordy's getting it opened up."

"Damn straight," Cordelia remarked. "If I'm going to bring minions, I expect them to be minion like." She paused at the steps, digging in her purse for the keys. "Snap, snap."

"Notice how effective the outward form is at disguising the alien tyrant underneath," Xander stated. "You'd almost think she was an actual human." He reached in to take the keys out of the ignition and push the latch for the rear cargo door.

"At least I didn't pick a disguise as a hopeless geek, dweeb," Cordelia called back from the door. "Oh wait - _yours_ isn't a disguise."

Snickering, Faith said, "You just gonna lie there and take that?"

Drawing himself up indignantly, Xander said, "No... I'm going to _stand_ here and take it. She can beat me up." He threw Faith a half grin, "C'mon, let's get these in before she has us flogged."

"_You_ flogged," Faith corrected as she started hauling bags out of the back alongside him. "_I_ can beat _her_ up."

"Life just _really_ isn't fair," Xander remarked. He leaned in as well and set the rest of the luggage out behind the vehicle. Naturally, the majority of it was Cordelia's - he had the one big duffel bag and a smaller bag, and Faith's stuff was fairly compact in a backpack, a large gear bag, and her weapons bag.

"Sucks, don't it," Faith smirked at him. Grabbing up most of the heavier bags, she headed off for the open front door with Xander trailing behind her. "Where you want these, C?"

"Oh, just set them down in the entry way for now," Cordelia called back. "We can sort out rooms and haul them in there later."

"Cool," Faith said, setting her load down to one side of the foyer. Xander dumped his load of bags on the other side and they wandered in looking around. "First time you've been here, Xan?"

"Oh yeah... " Xander nodded. "This makes my uncle Rory's cabin out near the desert look like a shack." He frowned, "Wait, my uncle Rory's cabin _is_ a shack, what am I saying."

They found Cordelia in the kitchen area looking thoughtfully through the refrigerator. Nodding to herself, she took several packages wrapped in butcher's paper out to set on the drainboard. "Since it's too late to do much else today, I thought I'd pull out some steaks and prawns to thaw," she said. "After dark we can start a fire in the deck fireplace while Xander does his manly stuff with the grill."

"Ok, now that sounds like a plan," Faith bobbed her head in agreement. "Boytoy here did good on that beach BBQ with the burgers and stuff."

Looking a bit uncomfortable at the praise, Xander ducked his head slightly, grinning. He changed the subject, "So, want to show us around the Queen C's summer palace now that we're in?"

"What, miss a chance to show off the family wealth?" Cordelia smirked, "Oh, please - like _that'd_ happen."

"When in doubt, appeal to the vanity," Xander stated. Putting his arm around Cordelia's waist, he drew her in close for a kiss. She melted into it for a few moments, then pushed him away playfully.

"Quit distracting me, Dorkus, or we'll never get anything else done before dark," Cordelia said.

"Yeah, and no fair teasing the third wheel with PDA's," Faith remarked. "Not unless you're gonna spread the love around."

Xander's mouth opened for a comment - probably sarcastic - and then his eyes glazed over slightly, leaving his mouth slightly ajar. Cordelia punched Faith lightly in the arm and swatted Xander on the back of his head.

"Hey! I warned you about that. There's no reset button on this model," she complained. Faith rubbed her arm, snickering. "Grand tour, coming up," Cordelia hooked her arm through Xander's and led the two of them off through the house.


	2. Chapter 1: All the Right People

**Episode 1e (Interlude):**

**"Days of Futures Not"**

_by Ironbear_

**Starring:**

Elisha Dushku as "Faith"

Anthony Stewart Head as "Rupert Giles"

Nicholas Brendan as "Alexander 'Xander' Harris"

Charisma Carpenter as "Cordelia Chase"

Alyson Hannigan as "Willow Rosenberg"

Seth Green as "Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne"

**Guest Starring:**

Assumpta Serna as "Lirio"

Jason Hall as "Devon MacLeish"

Tyrone Benskin as "Nkuyu Lungombe"

"_Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." -_ Maria Robinson

**Chapter 1: All the Right People -**

_**Thursday September 3, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, late afternoon/early evening.**_

Wandering through the four bedroom, two story plus loft log vacation house with Cordelia and Xander, Faith found herself struck by a deep sense of... 'envy' wasn't quite the right word, she decided. 'Want' was closer to the mark, and it was a want that 'take' and 'have' couldn't fulfill. This place was so far from the Southie brownstones she'd grown up in and around that it might as well be on another planet. Ditto for the lake, deep woods, and mountains backdrop... not that there weren't woods, mountains, and lakes in Massachusetts, but there was a difference to these that she couldn't put a name to.

Not envy. By now, Faith knew enough about Cordelia's family and the hidden loneliness and alienation that went along with her wealth and status that she wasn't even remotely tempted to envy the cheerleader any of it.

Want, though, definitely. This was the kind of place she'd like to have one of these days for herself, maybe in one of the real mountain states like Colorado. Glancing at the cheerfully bickering Cordelia and Xander, these were the people she wanted to share it with, also, she realized.

She didn't have the slightest clue how to go about it, but at least she had a goal. Hiding a grin, she moved up to join the other two.

With a bemused expression, Xander was looking over the glass fronted rifle cabinet in the lower floor game room and den. "Your dad really is into shooting, huh?"

"Look, don't touch, Dork," Cordelia sniffed, looking bored. "Or at least... touch careful like," she amended, opening the case. "Daddy brings clients and business contacts up here in the fall for _entertainment_ in hunting season," she said. "It's more a tax write off for him than a real vacation home."

There was something about the emphasis Cordy put on 'entertainment' that drew a sharp look from Faith. _'Read: booze, schmoozing, and loose babes for entertainment, with hunting on the side,'_ Faith thought, _'And I'll bet I know what caused the haughty sniff and the way-too-bored expression there.'_ Not for the first time, she felt a pang of sympathy for the socialite.

Judging by the sympathetic look, quickly hidden, that Xander threw his girlfriend, she wasn't the only one that caught the subtext. Only a slightly uncomfortable hunch of the shoulders betrayed his understanding as Harris hid it under conversation.

"Hunting? I thought all of this was State or National Park lands?" Xander asked, giving Cordelia a sharp look.

"Other side of the lake," Cordelia made a vague wave. "This area's National Forest - different rules apply."

The blank look betraying that the distinctions between 'National Park' and 'National Forest' were lost on him, Xander gave her a knowing nod as he passed his hand lightly over a custom bolt action rifle, not quite touching the gleaming finish. "Nice," he remarked. "All custom work or rare stuff," Xander noted, running an apparently practiced eye over the selection.

"Nothing but the best for Daddy," Cordelia said. She flipped hair out of her eyes with a practiced toss of her head. "There's a couple of .22's at the back - we can take them out to the cove tomorrow afternoon and do some shooting where there's a backstop."

"Cool," Faith said. She slipped in between the two, putting an arm around each of their waists. "Pool tables, big screen TV in every room, bar, stocked fridge and freezers, gun cabinet - you leave this place open for looters all year round?"

"The caretakers live in one of the houses we passed on the way up," Cordelia said. "They keep an eye on the place all year, and take care of the stock. And not too many people come way up here - almost all of the tourists and summer people stay to the marina side of the lake."

"Speaking of stock... " Xander said, a half smile crossing his lips.

"_Faith_ wants to see the horses," Cordelia said, grinning. "I know."

"Damn straight," Faith returned the grin with interest. "Can look at weapons any time," she remarked.

"We still have plenty of time before it gets too dark," Cordelia said. She considered for a minute or so, "They should all be out by the front pond at this time of day. Let's go down to the pasture."

**...**

_**Thursday September 3, 1998; Santa Barbara, Lirio's Mystical Items, late-afternoon/early evening.**_

"So," Lirio studied the dregs in her teacup briefly before pouring them both refills. "This young woman and her friends took it upon themselves to assist your Slayer, then?"

"My former Slayer, actually," Giles said, wincing slightly.

Catching the slight wince, she gave him a sympathetic glance. "She died, then?"

"No. Or, rather, we're not completely certain," Giles said. He shot her an apologetic glance and a small smile, "Apologies, I know that that makes things as perfectly clear as the bottom of the Thames." Taking a deep breath, he added, "I'll just say that she... encountered something which was something of an irresolvable conflict between her slaying duties and her personal preferences and once it was resolved somewhat, she left abruptly."

"Ah."

"Yes. Quite," Giles said. "Since then, her friends have taken it rather upon themselves to assume slaying duties upon the Hellmouth, and more recently, to assist the new Slayer."

"New slayer?" Lirio gave him a sharp glance that betrayed more than just a touch of confusion. "It was my understanding from the lore that... "

"A new Slayer is only Called when the former one is deceased?" Giles chuckled slightly. "Yes, that is usually the case. However, there is very little that is 'usual' about my experiences with Buffy Summers and her rather unorthodox group of associates."

"I see," Lirio said, giving him an encouraging look.

"The Slayer did die a couple of years ago," Giles explained. "However, it was temporary - she was revived via CPR, and another was Called. That one was... murdered, and her successor showed up on our doorstep some months ago following Buffy's departure."

"Two Slayers, then," Lirio said, nodding. "You are correct; there is very little that is 'usual' about the situation."

"Quite," Giles said, chuckling again. "Our new Slayer is also a bit... unusual. She managed to impress upon me that if her new friends are to continue to assist, then it rather behooves me to see that they have enough training to successfully survive doing so."

"She sounds like an interesting young woman," Lirio stated.

"You have _no_ idea," Giles replied. "'Interesting' is somewhat of an understatement." Giles laughed softly, looking down into his teacup, "I've seen small cyclones have less impact than she has had upon our little group."

"Which should bring us back to your proposed student for me," Lirio suggested.

"Yes, rather," Giles said, nodding. Removing his glasses, he gave her a direct look. "Willow Rosenberg is a bit of a problem for me, I'm afraid. While she isn't a 'natural' or hereditary witch, unlike another young woman of our acquaintance, she _is_ possessed of a great deal of potential power and ability. And, unfortunately, while I have a great deal of magical knowledge and theory, her potential ability outstrips my own by enough that I fear I am unable to instruct her adequately."

"Hmm," Lirio frowned slightly. "While a majority of true witches do inherit their talents, wild talents do occur on occasion. And they can often be quite powerful."

"Yes," Giles said, nodding again. "Couple that with coming into those powers atop the Hellmouth, and... "

"You have a situation that is a bit ripe for disaster, if I may be allowed an understatement," she replied. "While magic tends to be neither good nor evil in and of itself, the ambiance of the Hellmouth and similar areas is heavily aspected enough to corrupt even trained practitioners." Cocking her head slightly, she gave him a direct look and asked, "Has Willow had any training at all in her abilities?"

"Some. She was training under an associate of ours for a time, a Jenny Calendar," Giles stated. "However... Jenny died rather abruptly, and since then, Willow has been attempting to learn on her own."

"You didn't attempt to continue her training yourself?" Lirio gave him a sharp glance.

"I was, err, rather distracted at the time," Giles admitted, wincing slightly. "And for some time afterwards, I must admit." Replacing his glasses, he blinked at her.

"I see... " Giving him a thoughtful look, Lirio nodded after a time. "Very well. Bring Ms. Rosenberg up to meet me soon, if you would. I would like to meet her and speak with her before making a firm decision."

"Quite," Giles said. He gave her a grateful look. "That would be most acceptable." Pausing for a moment, he said, "It will be several days before I can make arrangements to do so. I must return to Sunnydale tonight and make preparations for leaving again to take care of some business elsewhere in California. I fear that that may take me the better part of the remainder of the week."

"No problems," she gave him a warm smile. "When you are able to arrange it, call me." Removing a business card from a small box near the table, she slid it across to him. "I am usually here, unless I have to leave for a buying trip, in which case you can leave a message for me with my assistant."

"Thank you so much," Giles said. Nodding, he slipped the card into his breast pocket before rising from the table. "I must warn you: in addition to her interest in magic, young Willow is possessed of a very scientific bent of mind. I fear that I haven't completely been able to impress upon her that unlike the sciences and her computers, magic doesn't always obey logical and causal rules." He paused, adding, "And she can be _quite_ willful in disbelieving warnings about the dangers of anything she becomes interested in."

"That is often a problem with today's young people," Lirio said, laughing softly. "Never fear, it is not an insurmountable difficulty." Growing slightly thoughtful, she inclined her head, "My current student, Sarah, has had some recent experiences with abuse of power as well. It may be that she can help to impress upon Willow the dangers of power without discipline."

"One certainly hopes," Giles said. "Thank you for the lunch and tea - it was most lovely. I must be off now, however... I fear that I have a great deal to do over the next several days."

**...**

_**Thursday September 3, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, late afternoon/early evening.**_

The 'front pond' turned out to be what looked like several acres of green, tree dotted pasture surrounded by white slat style fencing with a large man made lake in the end nearer the house. There was another smaller pond off to the back end and a small cluster of various colored horses grazing lazily under some trees near the forward lake.

"Pretty," Faith leaned on the top rail of the pasture fence, resting a foot on the bottom rail and looking out. "Didn't know you meant 'herd' when you said 'horses'." Herd might be an overstatement - it was only six - but it was still more horses than Faith had ever seen in one place outside of a western movie.

"That one's Keanu, the golden looking one." Cordelia pointed, "Blooded Palomino Morgan... He's mine - the rest are Daddy's."

"Pretty. That one looks like the Duke's from Rio Bravo," Faith said, indicating the one she meant.

"The Appaloosa?" Xander asked.

"That what the spotted ones're called?" Faith gave him a curious look and he nodded. "Yeah, the Appaloosa, then," she said. "Not quite the same, but it's close."

Xander gave her his quirky half-grin. "I kinda like the big gray over there," he pointed to a black maned and tailed dappled looking horse.

Cordelia nodded. "Our Brazilian Marchador," she said. "He is pretty." Holding her hand over the fence, she whistled loudly and several of the small group of horses perked their ears forward and came trotting over. When the golden one she'd identified a Keanu stuck his head over the fence, nudging her, she laughed and fed him a lump of sugar from her palm.

"Well, _anyone_ can get them to come if you _cheat_," Xander said, smirking. Cordelia grinned at him, sticking her tongue out.

"It's called being _prepared_, Doofus," she said. Faith backed away from the fence abruptly as one of the other horses stuck his head over, sniffing at her.

"Whoa," she said. Cordelia laughed and Faith threw her a mock glare, "They're a lot bigger up close."

"He thinks you have sugar," Cordelia told her. "Here," she held out a couple of cubes to Faith. Scowling slightly, Faith glanced at the big gray and back at the cheerleader, sticking her hands in her pockets.

"They don't bite, do they?"

"Naw. Just nibble a bit. Here," Cordelia said, again.

"We finally found something the Slayer is scared of," Xander said, snickering. He put up his hands hastily at the glare Faith sent him, giving her an apologetic look that still didn't hide his half-smirk.

"I'll _show_ you scared, Harris," Faith told him, scowling. She took one of the sugar cubes from Cordelia and stepped forward, holding it out a bit gingerly on her open palm and then laughing when the big gray lipped it off and started nuzzling her hand looking for more. Grinning, she stuck her tongue out at Xander, reaching up hesitantly to rub under the horses chin and neck.

Laughing, Cordelia rubbed her cheek alongside of Keanu's, then giving him a light slap on the neck to send him back over to the others. "Sugar's not _really_ good for them, but I figure since I only make it up here a few times a year, it can't hurt _too_ much."

"Now that's just cool," Faith said as the gray spun away to trot off after the other two back to the pond. She put both hands on the top of the fence, giving herself a light boost and turning in mid air to land sitting on the top fence slat.

"Can you ride at all, Faith?" Xander asked.

"Does the pony ride at the carnival count?"

"Not really," Cordelia shook her head, grinning.

"Then, no," Faith said. She grinned back at her friends. "Figure I can learn, though."

"I know _you_ can ride, Doof," Cordelia stated, looking at Xander. He ducked his head, grinning, as Faith raised her eyebrows at him.

"Riding stables when we were kids?" Xander said. "Back when Sunnyhell still had a riding stable?"

"And your first Junior High job, wasn't it?" Cordelia nodded at him.

"Wow." Faith shook her head, watching the other two. "You guys really _have_ known each other forever, haven't you."

Nodding, Cordelia climbed up to sit on the fence top near Faith. "Willow doesn't like to remember these days, but we even _used_ to all be friends, the five of us. Her, me, Xander, Jesse, Aura... "

"Up until around the fourth grade," Xander agreed. "Then your folks started getting on you about the crowd you ran with and you turned all mean and uppity on us."

"I _so_ did not," Cordelia sniffed, sticking her tongue out at him. "I turned mean later."

"And she's _still_ mean," Faith said, laughing. "So, what happened then? I mean, if you guys were all friends as kids an' all?"

"What Dweebo here said, mostly." Cordelia responded to Xander's surprised expression by reaching out and nudging him in the shoulder with her toe. "Hey - when you're right, you're right. It just doesn't happen very often," she said, grinning.

Xander gave her a mock wounded expression, rubbing his shoulder with exaggerated motions. "I'm _always_ right," he said. "It's just no one recognizes it."

"As if," Cordelia said. She glanced at Faith, "A lot of things happened. Mother and Daddy started really stressing the importance of social consciousness and 'knowing all the right people'. Harris... well, the Harrises just weren't in that group." She exchanged a long, intense look with Xander. Faith caught the look, and the sense of unspoken communication between the two, so intense she could almost feel it.

"And so Queen C and the Cordettes were born," Xander said, nodding. "And the three Musketeers rose to oppose them in all their infamy wherever they were to be found."

"_Not_ so very effectively," Cordelia said, nudging him again.

"Things changed, though, huh." Faith stated, nodding.

"No." Cordelia's thousand watt grin came her way. Reaching out to capture Xander between her feet, she drew him in next to her against the fence, wrapping her legs around his shoulders and chest. As he wrapped his own arms around her thighs, looking surprised, the cheerleader said, "My definition of 'all the right people' changed."


	3. Chapter 2: Conversational Interludes

**Chapter 2: Conversational Interludes -**

_**Thursday September 3, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, late night.**_

"You done good, Harris," Faith said. She leaned forward to slide her empty plate onto the outdoor table, then sat back with her legs stretched out and her ankles crossed, watching the fireplace flames.

"Coming from someone with the appetite of several small third world countries," Xander said, "Thank yew, thank yew verra much."

"Just don't let him try to cook with anything that doesn't involve meat, fire, and sticks," Cordelia said. She snuggled in next to him on the couch after setting her own plate aside.

"Hey - meat, fire, sticks: who needs more?" Faith laughed. "It's all the important things in life right there."

"Coming from you of all people, I'd think you'd add at least one more to the list," Xander said, smirking. He trailed his fingers along Cordelia's arm while watching the fire himself, getting a content cat sound from her in return.

"Hey, you can _eat_ that but you can't live on it," Faith said, glancing over and snickering when she saw Xander's eyes go slightly wide and a choking noise came out of him. She waggled her eyebrows at him, getting a half grin in exchange.

"Stop that," Cordelia said. "You'll break the Xander."

"Naw. Just straighten him a little bit in places. He'll live." Stretching as she got up, Faith wandered over to the small outside bar fridge and took out a Tecate for herself, a Pacifica for Cordelia, and a St. Pauli for Xander. She opened them, carrying them back to the small array of outdoor chairs and loveseat, handing the other two theirs before settling back in.

The sprawling back deck was probably her favorite place in the lake house, she decided. Solar lights around the edges lit it nicely after dark, while an array of citronella tiki style torches around the outside of the rail kept any fall bugs from being a problem. The big fireplace cast a crackling, cheery glow over the area where the seats were without blocking the view into the night time lake - just barely visible beyond the grounds in the growing moon. And there was a tempting and sizable hot tub/jacuzzi near the patio doors leading in for later...

It wasn't long before staring into the flames took Faith's thoughts elsewhere. She didn't realize it was showing until Cordelia's voice broke into her reflections and brought her back to the here-and-now, "You've got deep thoughts face over there," the other girl remarked. "Those vertical lines between your eyebrows are going to leave furrows."

"Heh." Faith shook her head slightly, smiling back at the cheerleader. "Sorry... job related stuff keeps running through my head."

"Hey now - vampires stay on the Hellmouth while we're here," Xander said in a teasing voice. "We all swore an oath."

"Yup, we did," Faith nodded seriously, taking a sip of her beer. "If I'm bad again, you both get to spank me."

Snickering, Cordelia said, "We'd wear our arms out before very long." Faith stuck her lower lip out, fluttering her eyelashes, and Cordelia broke up laughing.

"She's not bad, she's just drawn that way," Xander stated, shaking his head. Flashing a grin at him, Faith laughed softly. "So," Xander added, "What's all Hellmouthy enough that it followed you way up here?"

"Ah." Faith stretched her legs out, resting her feet on the table top and watching the fire again. "Not vamps so much. Just trying to figure some stuff out."

"Ah." Xander nodded wisely before saying, "Color me confused, then."

"Ok... " Faith reached up to push her hair back from her face, searching for words. "We got a pretty good thing going now, right? All of us?"

"Right... " Xander glanced down at his girlfriend and got a shrug back indicating she had no idea where Faith was headed, either.

"So, this thing with Willow's got me bugged," Faith stated. "I mean, one day everything's cool and it's like we're all friends, and then the next... " she made a frustrated gesture, "It's like she's shooting daggers at the three of us again. Drives me nuts."

"Ah. Yeah," Xander said, quietly. This time he gave Cordelia a helpless expression, and then ended up studying his beer bottle.

Cordelia bit her lip. "I don't think it's _you_ she's shooting knives at, if it helps." She laughed quietly, "_This_ time, anyway."

"Oh?" Glancing over to the other two, Faith saw Xander intent upon his beer and Cordelia rubbing the band of her ring with the thumb of that hand. "Ah. Right. Got it." Scowling, she rolled her eyes, "Jeeze, what are we, in High School or something?"

Half way through a slug from his beer bottle, Xander choked, almost snorting St. Pauli out his nose. "Well, yeah, kinda," he managed, glaring at Faith.

Faith smirked and shot him the bird. "You know what I mean. It's like a freaking soap opera sometimes." Rolling her eyes again she said, "Xander luvs Cordy and Oz luvs Willow but what they don't know is that Willow really secretly luvs Xander who luvs Cordy who... oh, fer chrissakes."

Snickering, Cordelia arched her eyebrows, adding, "Not to mention Faith who secretly is in lust with Cordy and Xander but doesn't want anyone to know about it and... "

"Hey! That's not a secret, exactly," Faith said, smirking.

"It was to me!" Xander protested. "Keep going: that was just starting to get interesting."

"I'd punch you, but then I'd have to move, and this is prime snuggling," Cordelia grumbled.

"Saved by the snuggle. That's got to be a first in my life," Xander said, laughing. He leaned over to nuzzle Cordelia's hair, before looking back at Faith. "I kinda had a talk with Will right before that big fight at the vamp's building. And she noticed these and got all freaked."

"I'd kinda figured," Faith said, nodding. "Guess I shoulda known it didn't go over well."

"You could say that," Xander nodded, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'm not sure there's anything to be done about it," Cordelia said. "It's something Willow's going to have to come to terms with on her own," she shrugged under Xander's arm. "Or not." Glancing up at Xander, she added, "Just so long as _Xander's_ come to terms with it."

He pulled her in closer, kissing the top of her head softly. "You know I have," he said. Looking over at Faith again, "Gotta understand - since we were kids and Cordelia kind of broke off with her Cordettes, it was me and Will against the world, more or less." He paused, frowning, "Well, me, Will, and Jesse."

Nodding, Faith said, "You guys mentioned him before. The other Mouseketeer?"

"Musketeer," Cordelia corrected her, laughing. "Although I like your version better."

"Well, Jesse _did_ always have a thing for Annette... " Xander said, laughing. He winced slightly, the laugh trailing off. Cordelia rubbed his forearm where it wrapped around her shoulders comfortingly.

Catching the wince, Faith's eyes narrowed slightly. "So... no Jesse now? What happened?"

"Subtle as a brick sometimes, Faith," Xander shook his head, smiling slightly. "He... died right after we started High School."

"Ouch," Faith said. Cocking her head, she saw the flash of hidden pain in Xander's eyes and made a guess at it. "Vamps?" she asked.

Xander nodded, making a face. "Vamped, right after Buffy showed up and we found out about the Hellmouth and the nasties," he said, glancing down at his girlfriend. "Kinda had to stake him at the big Harvest thingy."

"Double ouch," Faith said, giving Harris a sympathetic look. Cordelia stroked his arms again and he tightened them slightly, glancing away.

"Yeah... " Xander nodded. "It was _mostly_ an accident. I'm not sure I could have done it on purpose," he shrugged slightly. Taking a sip from his St. Pauli, he added, "It's funny... I don't think Buffy even remembers him. And Will never mentions him after. I think Cordy and I are the only ones who really ever talk about him."

"And we don't, much," Cordelia stated. "When we do, I have to remember this guy I grew up with who used to follow me around like a puppy suddenly turning into this... hungry _thing_ all of a sudden." Xander made a sound of agreement, pulling her tighter again for a moment.

Suddenly giving her a slightly surprised look, he said, "I thought you'd blanked out all of that the next day?"

"Mostly," Cordelia admitted. "It kept coming back after I had to admit the whole demons and vampire thing. Nightmares, and then remembering... " she shivered.

"I get that," Faith said, looking steadily at Harris. "Explains a lot." Xander opened his mouth to say something, only to close it again when Faith waved him off, scowling slightly. "This vamp that was after me in Boston... he turned a guy I used to date kinda and sent him after me so I'd have to stake him. And the reason my Watcher isn't gonna join us is because a vamp killed her."

"Ouch back atcha," Xander said. "What happened?"

"Don't really want to talk about it," Faith said, giving him a rather hesitant smile. "Not just yet, ok?"

The other two nodded, their expressions understanding. "Been there, anyway," Faith said after a short time. "Guess that explains why you got all bent outta shape over the Shelia thing, right?'

"Ah... " Xander started to speak, then reconsidered, scowling. After a bit he said, "Some. And some of it's not wanting to see a repeat of the Angel/Buffy thing. I don't care much for giving vamps a chance."

"Like your friend didn't get. I get that," Faith said, seriously. "Look... all I can say is what I told Giles when I talked to him later that night. Don't want to lose you guys, and we're not getting ahead of this thing, not really. So I'll take whatever edge we can use, you know?" She gave him and Cordelia a serious look, "If that's a crazy vamp who enjoys killing other vamps, then I'll use it."

"Yeah, well," Xander shook his head, quirking a slight grin. "When you put it like that... "

"We just don't want to see that 'edge' turn on us like Angel did," Cordelia put in, drawing a nod from Xander.

Nodding, Faith said, "We ain't friends and I don't trust her. And needing that edge isn't gonna stop me from dusting her the first sign that she's turning on us or that she's not being straight with me." The corners of her lips curled up, hesitantly, "Not going to put a walking corpse over my only live friends."

"Actually, we should make a decision that we're not going to let any of this stuff screw us up, not after all this," Cordelia said, firmly. She grinned, "And that's about _enough_ shop talk for one vacation."

Uncurling out from under Xander's arm and standing up, she peeled off her t-shirt and then slid her cutoffs down leaving her just in her blue bikini. Xander and Faith both eyed her appreciatively. "I vote we table this and adjourn to the jacuzzi," Cordelia added.

"Hey, she's got my vote," Faith stated. Standing, she pulled her t-shirt over her head, leaving her in just a bikini top and shorts. Over her shoulder as she followed Cordelia to the hot tub, she asked, "You joining?"

"I may be crazy, but I'm _not_ stupid," Xander said, grinning.

**...**

Stripped down to his boxers, Xander Harris slipped beneath the covers to wait for his girlfriend while she finished up in the bathroom before joining him. It seemed to be taking her a long time. Worth the wait though, he reflected as he pulled down the covers on her side and fluffed the pillows.

His breath caught in his throat when Cordelia walked out, closing the door behind her. Rather than the t-shirt and ladies boxers he'd seen her carrying in, she was wearing something that was all black lace at the breasts and hem, and sheer black silk in between. Slender, lacy panties and sheer black hose completed the look.

Cordelia stuck a completely unselfconscious pose in the bathroom doorway, back lit by the light as she reached inside to flip the switch. She smirked slightly as Xander struggled to pull his jaw up off of his chest.

"Speechless is a good look for you, Harris," Cordelia laughed softly, crossing the room slowly to the side of the bed.

"Gnng?" Xander managed, swallowing hard several times before he managed to find his voice. "I mean... wowza!"

"I take it you like?" Cordelia grinned, drawing the covers down farther and reclining on her side of the bed next to him, propped up on one elbow. She slid one knee over his legs, rubbing along his thighs. "Scratch that - I _gathered_ you liked it when we were modeling for you at Victoria's."

"O-o-oh yeah - me like!" Xander said, stuttering slightly. He quirked a half grin at her as she ran her hand over his chest. "And I plan to work my way up to coherent speech any day now, honest."

"Why start now after all these years?" Cordelia laughed again, leaning forward to kiss him deeply.

When the kiss broke off, Xander ran his fingers through the hair at the side of her head, trailing his fingertips along her face and down to cup her cheek. He ran the ball of his thumb softly across her lower lip. "I intend to be highly insulted by that once my brain stops melting," he said, smirking.

"You're assuming I intend to let it stop," Cordelia said in a teasing voice.

"I'm going to pinch myself and wake up," Xander said. He drew her lips down to his again, letting her pull back reluctantly after several minutes. "About a thousand years from now... "

"Hrmm," Cordelia melted into his lips again, giving him a serious look when she drew away finally, "Why wake up?"

"Good question," Xander said. "Have _no_ clue." She ran her hand down his stomach, then lower and he gasped.

"I assume you brought something for occasions like this?" Cordelia arched an eyebrow, smiling. "I'm on the pill, but you can't be _too_ careful," she said.

"Uh, yeah... " Xander blinked, then his eyes widened. "I mean, yeah, in my wallet," he said, his voice coming out squeaky at the end. "Whoa... "

He pushed himself up to his elbows, breaking the clinch reluctantly. "I just _know_ I'm going to kick myself for the rest of my life for this, but... Cordy... are you sure about this?"

Cordelia pushed herself up, sitting up slightly. Her eyes widened, then narrowed slightly. "I just _know_ you can't be telling me you don't want this, Harris."

"No no! Gods, Cordy - you know better than that," Xander shook his head frantically. He reached out to cup her cheek again, "Just... you've always said you wanted to be sure before we... " he swallowed hard, saying, "I just want you to be sure, first."

"Hrmm," Cordelia said, studying him carefully. She shook her head wonderingly. "I keep forgetting. You really are a nice guy under everything, aren't you?"

"I, ah, try?"

"Idiot." Cordelia said, shaking her head again. "It's never been _this_ I was unsure about, Doof."

"I know, I uh, just... " Xander blinked. "Lemme just say, huh?"

"It's never been _this_ I was unsure about," Cordelia repeated, staring him in the eyes. "It's been _you_, up until recently."

"Ok... " Xander shook his head, blinking. "Now I'm really confused. Not that that's unusual or nothing."

"You." Cordelia moved her hand up, resting it on his chest over his heart. "I always wanted my first time to be with someone who sees _me_. Just me - not Buffy, or Willow, or anyone else. Not Queen C or the richest and most popular girl in Sunnydale or a trophy. _Just_ me." She smiled softly, "Get it?"

"Believe me, Cordelia," Xander caught her hand, raising it up to his lips. "There is absolutely no _one_ here in this room except you and me right now. And you're not a trophy."

"Good answer," Cordelia said, nodding seriously. "And the rest of the time?"

He returned the serious look with interest, "It's not that simple," he said. He cut across her quickly as Cordelia's eyes flashed at him. "No - hear me out, please?" After a moment she nodded, biting at her lower lip. "Willow's always been my best friend, even if she's not acting like it right now. But that's it. And Buffy's always been kind of special, since we first met, and then definitely after we found out about the vamps and stuff," he paused, gathering his thoughts, "But I think she killed any last bit of anything else with that thing over Brood Boy at the Bronze."

"I really want to believe that," Cordelia said, softly.

"Believe it," Xander said. He lay back against the pillows, drawing her in closer to him. "_Buffy_ hasn't been there through everything these past months. _You_ have. Buffy didn't go out of her way to keep me together after those thugs half killed us. _You_ did."

"Damn straight," she murmured.

"I'm confused a lot," Xander said, grinning. "But I'm not confused about this." He bent his head down to kiss her deeply again. A thought struck him and he gave her a curious look, "I notice you didn't say 'or Faith' when you were listing things."

"Did I need to?" Cordelia said, teasing. She laughed softly, "Faith is a part of whatever we are, now. I'm just not sure what _kind_ of part yet."

"Let me know when you figure it out?" Xander asked.

"I will, definitely," she grinned at him. "It's going to take a _lot_ of figuring, though."

"I'll bet," Xander said. "Huh," he added, as another thought struck him. His eyes widened slightly. "First time?"

"Oooh," Cordelia growled softly, slapping him lightly on the chest. "Of course, 'first time'. I don't _care_ what any of the idiots I've dated have said - I'm not some school utility everyone rides." She snickered, "That's Harmony's job."

Xander snickered. "That's just cruel." He raised his eyebrows, looking at her seriously, "Ok, that does change things."

"Oh, really?" Cordelia raised her own brows back at him. "How so?"

"Ok, and I can't _believe_ I'm saying this with the most beautiful girl I've ever _seen_ wrapped up in sexy underwear in my arms, but... " Xander shook his head, frowning slightly. "I want our first time - _your_ first time - to be something really special."

"Hrmmm." Cordelia slid across his chest until she was lying mostly on top of him. She propped her chin on her hands, looking down into his face. "Keep batting a thousand like that, and I may just have to keep you."

"Maybe we can hold out until Homecoming?" Xander blurted out. "Tux, gorgeous dress, nice dinner, limo," he ran his hand down her silk covered back, "hotel room and sexy lingerie?" He cleared his throat, saying, "Give me a chance to prove I don't see anyone else except you."

Her lips quirked up at the corners, and she tilted her head slightly. "Hrmm. It'll be hard," Cordelia slid her leg over him and moved her hips, causing him to make a strangled noise in his throat, "But we _might_ be able to last that long."

"Oh, it's hard all right," Xander croaked. Cordelia laughed, and after a moment he started spluttering in laughter along with her.

"When did you know?" She asked. At his raised eyebrow look, she said, "This thing between us, I mean?"

"Huh? Thing?" Xander's expression went from amused to slightly shocked, then serious. "Oh," Xander thought for a minute. "Little league." She gave him a startled look, frowning slightly, and he grinned, "When I broke my arm and got thrown off the team and you slugged Scott Phillips for pushing me into a locker because they lost the next three games."

"Really?" Cordelia started laughing, "Oh, man - I'd almost forgotten about that."

"The look on his face was something else," Xander said, laughing along with her. He sobered slightly, adding, "And in the sixth grade when you kissed me after we went to the movies."

"Right before you dumped a milkshake all over me," Cordelia said, smiling. "Klutz."

"That's me. Xander Klutz Harris," he agreed. "But you knew that."

"Of course," Cordelia said. "But it was the _principle_ of the thing," she sniffed. "So, why did it take you almost six years to kiss me again?"

"Uh... because you'd have beat me up again if I tried it before?"

"Probably," she said. She rested her head on his chest, looking at him, "But you didn't try."

"I'm real slow sometimes," Xander said. He gave her a curious look, "What about you?"

"Oh, it took me a lot longer." Cordelia grinned at him, "It was when you saved me from Daryl Eps and his idiot brothers. And later for sure when you came to rescue me from that reptile demon."

"Really?" Xander's eyebrows tried to climb his forehead. "I always kinda thought it was the basement thing with the bug guy and the kiss."

"What, like I'm shallow or something?" Cordelia said, still grinning. "_Don't_ answer that," she warned, and Xander shut his mouth with a click. "It was all the other things - the electric kissing was just a bonus."

"Wow."

"Yeah. You idiots _ruined_ everything," she told him in a serious voice. "It wasn't _enough_ for guys to just be handsome and popular all of a sudden. They had to be all brave and interesting and cute and goofy too."

"I'm going to let the goofy thing slide, mostly because it's true," Xander said. "Cute?"

"Damned straight," Cordelia said, laughing at his expression. "I _knew_ with that thing with the swim team, though," she stated.

"The speedo?" Xander gave her an expression that was half frown, half flattered.

"No, silly," Cordelia said, swatting him on the chest. "When I found that husk and thought you'd changed. I thought I'd lost you... "

"You were gonna keep me in your pool and buy me bath toys," Xander said, smirking.

"You heard that?" Cordelia gave him an Olympic class eye roll and he laughed. After a minute, she joined in, laughing herself. "Yeah, well," she grinned. "It was that botch of a love spell that _really_ clinched it, though."

"Uhhh... " Xander's face got a suddenly trapped expression. "There's something you should know about that, Cordy... " she raised her head slightly, giving him a curious look and he winced. "I, uh, had Amy cast that thing so I could get back at you for dumping me on Valentine's Day." It came out all at once in a rush.

"Oh." Cordelia lowered her head back to his chest, snickering. "I know."

"You know?" Xander's voice cracked, half surprised, half outraged.

"Of course. I'm _not_ dumb, you know," she said. "I figured that out right away."

"But you still took me back afterwards?" Xander shook his head slightly, wondering.

"_No_ girl _really_ wants a guy who's a doormat, idiot," Cordelia told him. "Yeah, it was mean, and if it had _worked_ on me I'd have hated you for_ever_. But... it didn't and after I thought about it, it showed how much that meant to you. It was something I might have done." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "But, if you _ever_ try something like that again... "

"Oh no - I learned my lesson, believe me," Xander said. "No more magic fixes for me." He made a Scout's Honor sign with his fingers.

"Good," she said. "And that'd _so_ mean more if you'd ever been a Scout, Doofus." She slid up to kiss him again. "We'll have to keep the positive reinforcement therapy going so you don't forget."

"And this is where we get back to me kicking myself forever," Xander murmured against her lips. He ran his hand along her silk and lace covered body. "Homecoming is going to be a _long_ time away now."

"Hrrm." Cordelia worked her hips against him, smiling slowly and wickedly. "There's all _sorts_ of things we can do between then and now that don't involve _sex_ sex," she said. "And we have four nights up here to explore a _lot_ of them."

"Forget what I said about waking myself up. That was a really _stupid_ idea... "

**...**

Stepping out of the shower, Faith toweled herself off and slipped into an overlarge - and comfortable - Mountain t-shirt and a pair of women's boxers before brushing her teeth. Even with the great room and the bulk of the cabin separating the two bedroom suites, she could _just_ hear low voices from Cordelia and Xander's room. Didn't take her much imagination to fill in the gist of the conversation there.

Well, _any_ imagination, really: Cordy'd filled her in on the cheerleader's plans for the weekend and her designs for Xander's part in them. Faith grinned to herself as she left the bathroom, brushing out her hair as she headed for bed.

Whether he'd realized it or not before now, Xander was about to become a _very_ lucky guy - in the full meaning of the term 'getting lucky'.

Punching up her pillows before snuggling into the bedding, Faith ruthlessly suppressed a slight twinge of jealousy, deciding to be happy for her two friends instead. She wasn't about to begrudge the two any amount of enjoyment they could grab out of the shadow of the hellmouth - not when the pair of them were responsible for pulling Faith out the brink of a pit of depression and hopelessness neither of the two other teens were even aware of.

One that she herself was barely aware of how close she'd really come to sliding into, even though she could sometimes see and feel it at the edges of her mind.

Listening as the low voices slowly changed to other sounds, Faith reflected that there _were_ times that Slayer senses were kind of a bit of a curse... at this rate, it was going to take her forever to wind down enough to get to sleep. _'Downside of a me imposed dry spell,'_ Faith grumbled, mentally. _'Not only kicks my hornies through the roof, my imagination goes into overdrive too... not that it takes much imagination: kinda figured Cordy'd be a __loud__ moaner.' _Grinning to herself, Faith thought, _''Least I know how to fix __part__ of that problem.'_

Sitting up long enough to pull her t-shirt over her head and drop it on the floor, Faith slid off her shorts and panties as a particularly juicy set of moans drifted from the other room. One hand moving to her already painfully hard nipples, she slid the other between her legs as her mind supplied her with images of herself as a particularly juicy sandwich filling between the couple.

It took her a long time to work herself into a state of relaxed exhaustion deep enough to finally fall asleep...

_There was fog and darkness, and that surreal feeling you get from knowing that you're sinking through dream reality, yet unable to wake yourself up. Faith felt as though she'd been walking forever even though a part of herself knew it had only been a short time in this place._

_"You've forsaken the way of the Cheese."_

_The voice startled her and she spun to face the source of it, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. The sight that greeted her was so ludicrous that she couldn't help snickering: a dumpy looking man in a nerdish looking suit with thick rimmed glasses, wearing a Wisconsin cheese hat and covered all over with slices of what looked like cheddar and other types of cheese._

_Laughing, she looked him over, shaking her head. "You sure the way of the cheese hasn't forsaken me?"_

_"This is not a laughing matter," the cheese covered man gave her a stern look that completely failed to impress her. Scowling, he shook his index finger at her, saying, "The Cheese must __always__ stand alone."_

_"Yeah, well," Faith patted him condescendingly on the shoulder as she shoved past him on the narrow trail. "I'm not the cheese, guy."_

_The path wandered through jumbled rocks and stunted trees as she followed it until it came to the crest of a small promontory nestled between two low cliffs. Looking down, she could follow it with her eyes as it wended its way downslope to where it intersected with another path before both became lost from view in the mists._

_A line of thunderheads built in the distance and tiny legs of lightning crawled along their perimeter as she looked about. Low rumblings drifted from that direction in the wake of each flash._

_"Ada m Oma." __This__ voice was known to her and came with a sense of familiarity that caused her to turn without reaching for a weapon or dropping into stance. A broad grin slid across her lips as she turned, facing the figure steeping out of a seemingly solid rock wall to her left._

_"Papa Legombe," Faith said, nodding. Cocking her head slightly, she asked, "Or is it Eshu?"_

_He laughed, "Both. Or neither." The face was longer now, but still as black, and ring piercings adorned his lips, ears, and eyebrows. The elegant, ancient suit had been replaced by flowing robes and a long, tattered cloak, and the cane was now an elaborately carved staff. "I have many names, in many places, and among many peoples. But - Legombe has always been a favorite of mine."_

_"Works," Faith said._

_"You still carry my token," he said. "Has it brought you changes in your fortunes?"_

_"X-ray vision?" Faith glanced sharply at him, her hand going automatically to the back pocket of her jeans to check on the small amulet. "That's like, a wicked kinky power, guy."_

_"And I'm sure it'd be useful too," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her. "But no. I can however sense that which is connected to me."_

_"Coolness," Faith nodded, grinning. "And... yeah, kinda. It ain't been all bad, so far," she allowed. Sticking her hands in her back pockets, she fell into step beside him as he headed downslope along the winding pathway._

_"I won't promise it will be all __good__, either," he said, white teeth flashing in a mischievous grin. "Just... different."_

_"Hey, I've dealt with bad before," Faith told him. "I can hang."_

_They came to the junction of paths and Legombe paused, watching Faith carefully. Raising an eyebrow at him, she shrugged and stepped off continuing through on the path they'd been following, ignoring the dilapidated markers beside the intersection._

_A sudden wave of dizziness struck her as her mind was assaulted by flashes of imagery, too many and too fast for her to even register anything but a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and color. The dizziness passed as quickly as it had struck once she passed all the way through the junction._

_"Whoa," Faith shook her head. Legombe put a hand to her elbow to steady her as she stumbled. "What the fuck was that?" She asked._

_"Legacy of a Change wind," he said. Faith looked at him blankly and he grinned, saying, "You passed through the boundaries of what was to be and into what is not yet, and the effects shook you a bit."_

_"Dream whiplash, huh?" Faith said, and Legombe laughed, nodding. "Watcher-man said you were like, a god of crossroads or something."_

_"Ah yes, the descendant of the Shadowmen," Legombe chuckled, releasing her elbow to let her stand on her own. "They seek to guide what cannot be controlled with 'knowledge' of the unknowable."_

_"Right." Faith said. "And that makes like, all kinds of sense." _

_"The world is older than you know," Legombe intoned in a solemn tone of voice that was so much like Giles' that Faith couldn't help laughing. His ebony eyes twinkled at her, "It is even older than the Shadowmen will admit to."_

_"That supposed to make some sort of sense to me?" Faith asked._

_"Eventually," he said. Faith shook her head at the response, her expression sour._

_Legombe chuckled again, and she gave him a look that was frankly searching, "He also said you were a psycho... psycho-something. A guide for the dead. That why I'm here? Am I dying and moving on?"_

_"No, not as of yet," Legombe said, frowning. "Nothing like that."_

_"Good. Not ready to check out just yet," Faith said, a slightly relieved tone to her voice. Legombe's rings glittered as a flash of lightning struck closer than before, a rumbling crack following in its wake. "Storm coming," Faith observed, glancing up at the nearing thunderheads."_

_"My presence has a tendency to upset the carts of a great number of those who would style themselves 'Powers'," Legombe snickered, glancing up at the storm clouds. He gave Faith a direct look, his eyes still twinkling, and said, "__Some__ of them seem to be unhappy, methinks."_

_"Ah." Faith found herself grinning back at him. "So they're gonna be like, all pissed off and shit that you kicked their cart off the rails, huh. They gonna be trying to come down on me, too?"_

_"If I say yes, would that incline you to turn aside from what may come?"_

_Faith frowned, her mind sifting through some of the glimpses of possibilities and probabilities that the 'dream whiplash' had shown her. "Naw," she shook her head, meeting his eyes directly, "Bring it on."_

_"Are you certain?" Legombe's eyes were penetrating upon hers. "The path that was meant to be is harsh, but safer in some ways. And much easier."_

_"Not much for the easy way, guy," Faith shook her head, not breaking eye contact with him. "Let's rock."_

_"I must ask again, and you must tell me three times," he stated, locking her gaze with his own. "And then it shall be Willed Where What Is Willed Must Be and there is no turning back," he warned, "Only failure or growth."_

_"Three times, huh?" Faith searched the black, black eyes, considering. An image of Cordelia's eyes, warm and concerned came to her along with a memory of Xander's arm supporting her as the two of them limped endlessly from Willy's after the beating. A contrasting memory of the long, terrified trip across country came to her as well: always alone, always wondering if this would be one of the places where her luck would run out..._

_Shaking her head slightly, Faith gave him a tight smile. "You heard me the first time. Let's see what happens."_

_"Done." A wide grin split Legombe's face as an incandescent bolt struck the intersection behind them and thunder snarled somewhere close. Reaching out his hand, he touched her gently between the eyes, his fingertips tailing gently along her cheek as Faith felt herself start to fade out of the dreaming. "You think you know what you are. You have no idea what you can yet become."_

_"Wait - " she called out, "Will I remember any of this?"_

_"Not consciously, And not for a long time yet to come," she heard as she faded back to her sleeping reality, "Only the part that matters will recall this."_

Mumbling in her sleep, Faith rolled over and snuggled deeper into her pillows. The dream encounter was already forgotten by the time her breath evened out and she drifted deeper into her slumbers.


	4. Chapter 3: Not Quite Sex and Breakfast

**Chapter 3: Not Quite Sex and Breakfast -**

_**Friday September 4, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, late morning.**_

"Morning," Xander called out cheerfully from the stove as Faith wandered in, yawning. A bit _too_ cheerfully for the time of day, Faith considered. Scowling, she poured herself a mug of coffee, slumping in a chair across from Cordelia to drink.

"Errgh."

"You are _so_ not a morning person," Cordelia said, grinning. The cheerleader was already dressed and looked ready for anything a day could bring: tight tan colored pants, an off-white long sleeved blouse, and knee high black boots with her hair up in an elegant knot at the back of her head and a tail of it trailing behind her in a long, dark cascade.

"Bite me, Princess," Faith yawned again, covering her mouth with her fist. She gave the cheerleader a bit of a lopsided smile to take the sting out of the words. The smell of cooking bacon drew a rumble from her stomach and she jerked her head towards Xander, "Thought he wasn't allowed near real food and a stove?"

"Bacon, pan fried toast, and scrambled eggs," Xander called over his shoulder. "It's not cooking - it's a survival skill."

"Eggs ala Xander," Cordelia said. "He _promises_ they'll be edible."

"Coolness." With about three quarters of a mug of coffee in her, Faith's outlook started brightening considerably. Remembering something they'd discussed when planning the trip, she lifted her eyebrows at the cheerleader with a slight smirk.

"Nope," Cordelia shook her head. "We decided to wait. _Harris_ wants it to be romantic and special."

"Damn, girl," Faith grinned, shaking her head in return. "Secluded lake, wilderness, hot babe in hotter undies - how much more romantic can it get?"

Cordelia's reply was cut off by Xander wandering out of the kitchen balancing three plates and a coffee pot. Faith jumped up to take plates from him, setting them around the table at their places while he settled the coffee pot down.

"Thanks," he said, settling into a chair and pouring himself some coffee. Taking note of the cat and canary expressions on both girls, Xander's brows went up slightly. "Ummm... did I miss something?"

Sniggering, Cordelia ducked her head, while Faith smirked at him. "Naw. We were just talking about this iron man thing you have going with turning down the hot babe there."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Is there a _reason_ why we're discussing our love life with the Slay gal?"

"Don't mind her," Cordelia said in a breezy tone. "Since she's eased off on hauling in everything in pants, I think she's decided to live vicariously through us."

"Damn, these are good," Faith shoveled in another forkful of eggs, nodding in approval. "'Vicarious', huh. That mean me getting my peeping tom on with you two?"

"Something like that," Cordelia said. "I _think_ it was when she followed us home," she stated. Arching her eyebrows at Xander she added, "I know _you_ wanted a puppy, but hey - how could I turn down those huge... eyes?" Xander snickered.

"Vicarious or not, I gotta do something," Faith grinned at the two of them. "Sounds drifting across from you guy's room last night's got me about frustrated enough to dry hump a fence post."

Xander choked, glaring at her and blushing red from his collar all the way up to the tips of his ears. Luckily, Faith _hadn't_ caught him with a half swallow of coffee down his throat.

"Sigh. You have _such_ a way with words," Cordelia stated.

"It's a knack."

"You know," Xander said, grumbling, "You really _could_ have gotten a puppy."

"Awww." Faith gave him a look that was all huge brown eyes and trembling lower lip. "Just kidding you, Xan," she said, putting a hand on his forearm. "I think it's neat."

"Really?" Xander stopped with his coffee half way to his lips, looking like he was waiting for the punchline.

"Really," Faith nodded seriously, attacking the rest of her eggs. "Gotta say, all the guys I've dated and the way I've done things since, it sorta takes all the romance out, huh?" She winked, "You guys and Oz and Will are the first couples I've seen do this sorta stuff outside of old movies and TV shows."

"You should have seen us last year," Cordelia said. She held her coffee mug between her hands, inhaling the aroma with a pensive expression. "All groping in broom closets and trading insults."

Xander grinned, "But you have to admit, the groping _was_ kind of hot," he said. Cordelia stuck her tongue out at him over the rim of her cup, giggling.

"Damn, guy, quit stealing my lines," Faith said, snickering. "I was gonna say that," she grumbled.

"You snooze, you lose."

"It was that," Cordelia agreed. "But so is this," she said, giving Xander a smoldering look that made him blush. Faith grinned and winked at him. "So," Cordelia said, tilting her head to study the two of them, "Ready to go out riding and exploring?"

"Aren't we supposed to, like, wait an hour after eating first?" Faith asked, a slight crease growing between her eyebrows.

"That's just for swimming," Xander said. His lips quirked up in a half grin, "Unless you get carsick easy." Making a rocking motion with his hand he added, "Horses aren't very stable."

A groan met that one, and Faith's eyes narrowed, "If I thought that pun was on purpose, I'd have to hurt you," she said. "Naw. I wasn't the one who turned all Kermit on the Whiplash."

"Sigh. I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"

"Probably about the same time the people behind us finish paying their dry cleaning bills," Cordelia said, grinning. Xander rolled his eyes.

"I'm good," Faith said. "Let me soak down these eggs with some more caffeine first, and then I'll finish getting dressed."

**...**

After calling in the horses, a businesslike Cordelia pointed out saddles and tack to an attentive - if slightly impatient - Faith. Despite her obvious hurry to get to the meat of the situation, Faith followed the cheerleader's moves with wide, dancing eyes, soaking up every word.

"Since you've never ridden before, you get a Western style saddle," Cordelia remarked. "Easier to hang onto and more support - easier to learn on than an English saddle as well."

"English? You mean they have Watcher saddles?" Faith snickered. "Don't tell me: built in bookcases and they're made of tweed."

"Hardly," Cordelia said, dryly, as Xander leaned against a stall partition almost doubled over in laughter.

"And little eyeglasses over the saddle horn," Xander said, snickering. Faith grinned at him, picking up the indicated saddle with one hand and the bridle with the other.

"Heavy," She hoisted the saddle to her shoulder with a grunt, looking expectantly at Cordelia. "Where to?"

"Heavy, she says as she casually swings almost sixty pounds of tack to her shoulder," Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Australian snowy river saddle - of _course_ it's heavy. I could probably barely lift that with _both_ hands."

"Gotta love those slayer muscles," Xander said. Hoisting his own western style saddle, he led the way over to where they had the three horses ready for bridling and saddling. Faith followed, watching him and Cordelia as they laid out saddle blankets and pads over the backs of the horses and bridled them.

Following Cordelia's directions, she stood on a step to throw the saddle over the Appaloosa's back, stepping back afterwards when Cordelia motioned her away.

"Better let Harris set the girths and cinches," Cordelia said, grinning. "_Last_ thing you want is a saddle sliding out from under you in mid run, trust me."

"No worries," Faith nodded. She watched appreciatively as Xander's arms bunched under the effort while he tightened the girth straps on all three saddles. "So you really used to work at a stable?"

"One summer," Xander said, grunting slightly as he set the last cinch strap. "Me and Jesse in Junior High... Cordelia used to come riding there all the time with her friend Aura."

"I _still_ think you and Jesse only got jobs there for the free riding and the chance to ogle us," Cordelia stated.

"Of course," Xander grinned at her. "Where else were we gonna get a chance to grope the Queen C while helping her mount?" He said, cupping her rear and her leg as he helped her up into the saddle.

"Always _knew_ you had to be smarter than you looked," Cordelia said, laughing. She stuck her tongue out at his expression.

"Your turn," Xander said, turning to Faith.

"Umm, yeah. Gimme a minute," Faith said, looking up at the saddle. Fifteen hands was a _lot_ taller from right next to the horse that it'd seemed like a few minutes ago. Taking a deep breath, she lifted a booted foot up to the stirrup as Xander put a hand under her rump and helped boost her up into the saddle. Catching her balance, she let out the breath and a wide smile slid across her lips. "Ok, now I see why _you_ like riding, Xan. Free groping privileges."

"Any other reason guys do things past the age of eleven?" Cordelia snickered. She gave Faith a critical looking over, then nodded appreciatively. "Good. Always mount on the side you did. Our horses are trained for either side - a lot of Daddy's friend's wouldn't know one side of a saddle from the other with a map - but not every horse is."

"Got it," Faith said, nodding. After Xander mounted, Cordelia nudged Keanu with her heels and moved him slowly out of the horse barn, the other horses automatically following the big palomino Morgan.

"Ok," Cordelia said. "They're trained to neck and knee rein - means you just lay the rein on the side of the neck opposite the direction you want them to turn, and apply a slight nudge of pressure with your knee on the same side." She demonstrated on Keanu, bringing the palomino around in a tight circle while Faith watched carefully. "Pull back gently on the reins while saying 'whoa' to stop, nudge gently with your heels for 'go'."

"_Sounds_ simple enough," Faith said in a dubious tone.

"It is," Xander said. "If you slayers pick up all physical stuff like you do weapons, you'll be riding like a pro in no time."

The next half hour was spent demonstrating riding techniques and practicing until Cordelia was finally satisfied Faith had the hang of it. After a bit, she cut Faith loose to let the Appaloosa stretch out a bit.

"I think you created a monster," Xander said. Grinning, he caught Cordelia's eye and pointed to where a laughing Faith was laying across the neck of the big Appaloosa after bringing him to a halt following a short run. She laid her cheek against the horse's neck, reaching up to rub him alongside the jaw.

"You were right - slayer skills," Cordelia said, sighing. "I'm _so_ jealous - seemed like it took me forever to get the hang of that."

"Ok, now this _is_ cool," Faith said finally, grinning as she brought the horse back up to a stop near them. "Where to, or do we just ride in circles around the cabin here until we're done?"

"Hmm." Cordelia looked thoughtful for several minutes, then smiled. "There's a trail that runs down to and then along the lake shore for several miles down to some low cliffs where there's some caves." She tilted her head slightly, then added, "They're _supposed_ to have once been Indian caves... I used to go down there hunting for arrowheads when I was little."

"Ever find any?" Xander's expression showed that his curiosity had just been piqued by that.

"A couple," Cordelia said, making a rueful face. "Not too many. Supposed to be wall paintings too, but Daddy never let me go exploring deep enough to see."

"Wicked," Faith said. "Wanna ride down and explore some?"

"Sure." Nodding, Cordelia nudged her horse forward, turning him towards the house. "Let's hit the stable for some saddlebags and stop off at the cabin first, though: we're going to want to take some lunches, water, and flashlights with us."

**...**

The beam of Faith's flashlight slanted through the darkness lighting up the area ahead of them. "C'mon, guys. This place is cool."

"Hey! Don't wander _too_ far ahead," Cordelia called out. "We _so_ do _not_ want to get separated in here."

"Not. Don't worry," Faith said, grinning. She bounced impatiently on the balls of her feet as she waited for the other two to catch up to her. "Check that out," she said, her lantern beam lighting up the wall of the gallery ahead.

"Wow." Xander stopped short, one hand aiming his own light while the other held onto Cordelia's. "You weren't kidding about the cave paintings, huh?"

"Guess not," Cordelia said. "Wow. I never made it far enough down here as a kid to see this." She grinned suddenly, her face lighting up like that of the little kid she'd once been, and Xander's breath caught in his throat. He squeezed her hand, grinning back at her expression.

Starting just beyond the point where the tunnel they'd been following opened up into a larger gallery, lines of ochre, yellow, and black covered the limestone walls and ceiling. Stylized deer, birds, long horned things that might have been bison, and tusked things that might have been mammoth or mastodon flowed in frozen herds down the expanse as they navigated the gallery, their lantern beams playing over the repeating designs.

"Pictographs," Faith said suddenly, snapping her fingers. "I knew it was something like that."

"Huh?" Both of Xander's eyebrows went up at her comment. Faith grinned at him.

"Hey - I dropped out of High School, right? Means I was _in_ High School at some point," she said.

"And you even actually paid attention," Xander remarked. "I'm impressed."

"I _liked_ American history - especially the stuff about the Indians and shit," Faith said, rolling her eyes at him. "Even if I figured about half the crap in the books was mostly garbage."

"How do you figure?" Cordelia's eyebrows lifted as she gave her friend a curious look.

"Hey: _we_ won the wars," Faith stated. "Think we're gonna write true shit about the guys we beat up and stole shit from?" There was a nod and a quirk of the lips from the taller girl as Cordelia acknowledged the logic.

"So young, and yet so cynical," Xander said. He stepped a bit closer to one of the walls to examine a set of bison murals.

"S'not cynical," Faith said. "S'reality. Them what wins writes the books." Grinning, she winked at him. "You don't think they're gonna write down stuff that makes 'em look bad, do yas?"

"Point," Xander conceded. They made their way deeper in to the end of the gallery where it opened up into a larger cave with a set of almost step like natural ledges leading down into it.

"Wow," Cordelia said again. Letting go of Xander's hand, she shrugged out of her small pack and let it slide to the floor along with the saddlebags she'd had slung over her shoulder. "This looks like a good place to stop and have lunch."

"Suits," Faith agreed. She set her own saddlebags down by Cordelia's and knelt down to help the cheerleader take out a pair of small battery powered lanterns and a ground cloth from the pack.

"Sounds good to me too." Xander helped the two girls unpack sandwiches and the thermos. Looking around, he asked, "There won't be any problems finding our way back out again, will there?"

"Shouldn't be," Cordelia said. Biting her lower lip gently, she looked around thoughtfully. "No real branches to any of these caves - it's just a straight path back the way we came." Her thousand watt grin flashing suddenly, she added, "I must've spent _hours_ poring over maps of the caves around here as a kid and memorizing them. I used to pretend I was a famous explorer planning out an expedition."

"Indiana Cordy," Xander said, laughing.

Cordelia swatted him on the arm playfully. "Oh please - the stubbly fedora look is more your thing," she said. "I'd have had _class_." Shrugging slightly, she added almost shyly, "I used to have to entertain myself a lot when we spent the summers up here, while Mother and Daddy were busy."

Xander gave her a sympathetic look, squeezing her hand. Chewing on a sandwich, Faith gave a thoughtful nod. "Tommy and I used to ride the T down to Quincy in summers and go swimming. Had these huge cliffs there that everyone else was afraid to jump off of, and a couple of Tarzan swings." The corners of her lips twitched up into a smile as she met Cordelia's eyes, "Spent a lot of time making our own fun as kids."

"I feel left out," Xander stated, somewhat plaintively. "I'm the only one here without a hidden tomboy past."

Cordelia snickered, nudging him. "You're lacking a certain essential femaleness required to be a tomboy, Dweeb."

"And that's just not fair," Xander said. "I _demand_ equality of tomboyness."

"Quick trip to Switzerland can fix that," Faith obserevd. She made a snipping motion with her fingers, grinning wickedly as Xander's eyes widened and he crossed his legs.

"On second thought, I'm pretty happy with this sexist state of things," he said. Leering at the two, he added, "'Sides: I like tomboys."

"It's that slayer fetish of yours," Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I really am going to dress up in leather pants and attack you with a stake some day."

Xander's expression took on a decidedly puppy dog look as he gazed at her wide-eyed. "Please Cordy - I promise I'll be _real_ good if you'll let your inner slayer out to play with me," he said. Cordelia snorted, rolling her eyes - but she leaned into him for a long, hot kiss that broke apart with both of them laughing.

"Don't get him _too_ excited, girl friend," Faith said, laughing. "We'll _never_ make it out of the caves."

After lunch was finished and everything was packed away, they explored deeper into the caves. Faith ranged ahead periodically, veering off to check out things that caught her interest and then ambling back to rejoin them. Cordelia and Xander followed a bit more sedately, holding hands and pausing to make out occasionally.

"Hey guys - check this out," Faith's voice drifted back to them. Reluctantly breaking off a clinch, the two followed the glow of Faith's light to where a side tunnel branched off from the main cavern, leading into another smaller cave.

"Cool," Cordelia breathed as her light played over the walls of the side cave, revealing an expanse of new wall paintings and pictographs.

"Wicked, isn't it?" Faith said, her head bobbing in agreement. "Hey - careful Xan. Don't touch that -"

"Ehrmm, oops?" Xander looked down with a slightly guilty expression as his foot struck a small rock, dislodging it slightly from where it'd been seated. Stepping back carefully, he asked, "What was it?"

Frowning slightly, Faith squatted on her heels, playing her light over a circle of stones with two long lines of smaller stones and a pair of shorter lines ending in arrows bisecting it.

"Medicine wheel, I think it's called," she said, a bit dubiously. "Saw something like it in a book once."

"Way to go, Doofus," Cordelia said, slapping him on the shoulder. Xander winced and rubbed his arm, unable to prevent a guilty look from crossing his features. "_Now_ ancient Indian spirits are going to be out to get us - and we'd managed to actually _escape_ the Hellmouthy badness for once."

"Hey, _sorry_, jeeze," Xander grumbled. "I didn't see it, ok?"

"No real big," Faith remarked. "I think he barely touched it." Xander shrugged, and Cordelia looked slightly mollified, giving his arm an apologetic squeeze.

Hidden as it was in her back pocket, none of them saw Faith's amulet flash briefly with a slight glow in response to the movement of the rock from the disturbed medicine wheel.

"Sorry," Cordelia said. "I'm a bit paranoid about this stuff, ok?"

"I'd like to say you don't have reason," Xander stated, slipping his arm around her waist and drawing her to him, "Except that two years of weirdness would make me a liar."

"So very true," Cordelia said, sighing. She checked her watch, shaking her head slightly. "Well... as neat as this place is, we probably should start heading back while it's still early. I don't like the idea of having to spend the night camping out in here."

"Yeah... " Faith nodded reluctantly, agreeing. "I'd imagine riding up those trails ain't nearly as much fun in the dark."

**...**

Shortly after their departure, a figure stepped out of the deep shadows at the edge of the side chamber. Black of skin and eyes, long of face, and wrapped in flowing robes and tattered cloak, Faith would have recognised him from the earlier dream she no longer quite remembered.

However, no one was here to see as he strode to and past the slightly disturbed medicine wheel and out through the entrance of the small side cavern into the larger gallery. Giving a slight and satisfied nod, he waved his ornate staff in an intricate set of movements before the cave entrance.

It closed up to bare rock face under the moving staff and he turned and disappeared once again into the sheer rock face at the other side of the gallery...


	5. Chapter 4: What Dreams May Come

**Chapter 4: What Dreams May Come -**

_**Saturday September 5, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, early AM.**_

"No... no... " Faith thrashed restlessly in her sleep, sheets tangling up about her legs. For a short while, she quieted again, only her harsh breathing betraying that she was still in the grips of whatever nightmares were assaulting her. Long minutes later, as her breathing grew harsher, she suddenly sat bolt upright, her eyes wild.

"_No!_" Faith looked wildly around the room, breathing heavily. Finally, she recognized her surroundings and calmed slightly. "Jeeze... " she muttered. Wrapping her arms around her middle, she bent over slowly until her head was resting on her drawn up knees.

"wow. That was... rough," she said, softly. Untangling herself from the covers, Faith slowly got out of bed and padded over to the bathroom. Partway there she found herself rubbing almost unconsciously at her stomach - surprised for some reason to find her skin there clean and smooth, free of scars or blood. After relieving herself, she splashed cold water on her face at the sink and leaned with her hands braced on the side of the bathroom sink, staring at herself.

Even considering Slayer Dreams, especially the recurring months of those leading up to her confrontation with Kakistos, Faith had never had a dream experience similar to the one she'd just endured. What had seemed like endless hours of visions of events involving herself, Cordelia, Xander, and the rest of the Scoobies, including people she'd never met. Or at least... hadn't _yet_ met. Unlike normal nightmares, they'd had the sharpness and clarity she usually associated with Slayer dreams, but with none of the ambiguity and symbolism that tended to make a Slayer Dream more of an exercise in frustration than a useful tool. Almost...

Faith's head came up, and she saw her own reddened eyes in the mirror looking back. Almost like the dreams she'd had prior to being Called - what Diana had called 'Slayer memories'. This had had the same sense to it of standing slightly to one side while watching someone else's life unfold before her eyes, while at the same time _being_ that person and experiencing it from the inside of that person's head. That same sense of duality.

Shaking her head finally, she left the bathroom. Part way back to bed, the faint sound of voices from the room across the lake house registered on her and she stopped, undecided.

_'What the hell,'_ she thought. _'Doesn't sound like the others are asleep, and it's for damn' sure I'm not dropping off again any time soon.'_

Stopping by the refrigerator in the kitchen for a bottle of cold water, she took a long drink and then moved quietly across the house to Xander and Cordelia's room. Light glowing at the crack under the door affirmed that the other two teens weren't asleep, either. From what she could make out of the low conversation, it sounded like they'd woken up similarly to the way she had.

Faith knocked on the door softly, prepared to head back to her room if it turned out Xander and Cordy wanted privacy. Cordelia's soft voice drifted out to her through the closed door, "Faith?"

"Yeah. You two err, still awake?" Faith winced at the lameness of the question, and was relieved to hear a soft laugh from the cheerleader.

"Awake again, more like," Cordelia said. "Come on in."

"Cool," turning the knob, Faith pushed the door open and slipped into the room, shutting it behind her. Both of her friends were sitting up in the bed, bedside lights on. Cordelia looked a bit shaken, with her eyes red as if she'd been crying recently. Xander was bent over his upraised knees as Faith had been shortly before, both hands over his face.

"Hey. Bad dreams?" Faith asked. She went over and sat on the edge of the bed on Xander's side. It looked to her like the others were as shaken as Faith had felt on waking. If their experience had had that same intensity and sense of watching their own lives unfold from both slightly to one side and within the other person, no _wonder_ they were shaken.

"You too? Jeeze... " Cordelia's eyes went wide as Faith nodded. "Might as well join us," Cordelia said.

"Man, I am turning into _such_ a wuss," Faith said as she flipped the covers down on her edge of the bed and slid in under them. "What am I gonna do when we get back? Hike across town to crawl into bed with you two every time I have a nightmare?"

Xander laughed, his hands still covering his eyes. It came out as a harsh sound.

"If they're this rough, I'm not sure I'd mind," Cordelia stated. Her patented smile came out a bit trembly. She gave Xander a concerned look.

"Me either," Xander said. He drew a long, shuddering breath and sat up a bit straighter. His hands came away from his face, but he felt carefully around his left eye as if reassuring himself it was still ok. He took another deep breath and slid down somewhat, laying with his shoulders propped up on his pillows, giving Faith a wry looking half smile.

"You gonna be ok, guy?" Faith gave him a worried look.

"Yeah," Xander nodded, a bit uncertainly. "Just a dream, right?"

"Right," Faith said. It came out sounding as uncertain as Xander's nod had looked. Cordelia gave both of them a sharp look.

"Uh, this is going to sound a bit weird," Cordelia said, "But were the two of us in your dreams by any chance?"

Faith's eyes widened. "Oh, _hell_ yeah." Both of her brows drew down into a scowl, "You mean all _three_ of us had nightmares involving the three of us? At the same time?"

"And everyone else, too, if you guys dreams were like mine," Cordelia stated, nodding. "You, me, Xander, Buffy, Willow, Oz, Giles... Angel even." Xander nodded, affirming what she'd said.

"Ok... freaky," Faith said. Cocking her head, she asked, "What was yours about?"

Cordelia looked at her sharply, opening her mouth as if to object to being the first, then closing it again and shrugging. She shook her head slightly. "Pretty bad," she said. "It was like watching one of those film montage things - you know, where they splice together a whole bunch of related clips and stream them?"

Faith nodded, and Xander murmured, "Mine too."

Making a face, Cordelia continued, "Like, real weird bad. Spike came back to town and kidnapped Xander, then I caught Xander and Willow cheating on me," Xander winced at that, shaking his head, as she went on, "I ran away and got hurt real bad... then there was this giant snake demon and the school got destroyed at graduation and I moved to LA... " Cordelia scowled, "Then things got real bad."

"Got worse after the giant snake demon?" Faith's lips quirked up a bit at the corners.

"Yeah. And so _not_ funny," Cordelia stated. Faith shrugged, looking apologetic as Xander rubbed Cordelia's shoulder comfortingly. "I met up with Angel and started working for him, and then there was this kind of half demon guy who was really kind of nice. He got killed and I started getting these visions, then I got pregnant with yicky demon spawn, sucked into some weird demon dimension, and Angel had a son - a grown son - and I slept with him, got pregnant again with some hell goddess who possessed me and made me kill everyone - and what _is_ it with the pregnancy thing, jeeze - Angelus came back and this thing in me was controlling him, and _then_ I ended up in a coma and dying." The whole thing came out in a rush at the end, and Cordelia shuddered.

"Oh-kayyy... " Faith said, shaking her head. "Some of that's just way too weird. Parts of it were in mine."

"Yeah," Cordelia agreed. "You were in parts of mine, too."

"Not real high points, I'll bet," Faith said, her expression sour. "I... killed a guy, kinda by accident. And then everything went all to shit on me and everyone else."

"I saw parts of that, I think," Xander said, his voice sounding hoarse. Faith nodded.

"Yeah. You tried to reach me, I think, after I killed that guy?" Faith gave him a searching look and he nodded. "Yeah," she said. "And I tried to kill you for it. Then I joined up with this evil sorcerer and tried to kill everyone, and that Buffy chick stabbed me in the stomach and I jumped off a roof." Faith looked at Cordelia, adding, "You're not the only coma girl, girl... I woke up a year later and tried to kill everyone again, including you guys in LA, and ended up in prison."

"Ouch," Cordelia said. "I only caught parts of that in mine."

"Yeah, ouch," Faith shuddered, pushing her hair back from her face with a harsh gesture. Continuing, she said, "Then I broke out of jail and ended up having to hunt that Angleus vamp, and then wound up back in Sunnydale to help out - with everyone hating me. We ended up closing the Hellmouth and destroying the whole town, I think. Whole bunch of other weird shit in between... "

"You never met Angelus, though," Xander said. "Or Angel?"

"Yeah? Or this Spike character, but I knew who Cordy was talking about when she said the name," Faith gave him a blank look, shrugging. "One of those dream things, maybe? It's like... I knew everyone in there, even the people I'd never seen before."

"What about you?" Cordelia asked, putting a comforting hand on Xander's forearm.

Taking a deep breath, Xander opened his mouth, then closed it again. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a half grin and he shook his head, saying, "Don't wanna."

"Hey, guy," Faith put a hand on his knee and shook it. "We fessed up, it's your turn now. Don't wuss out on us."

Xander closed his eyes, nodding abruptly. He took another deep breath, then opened his eyes again, looking at both of them. "Ok, but it's kinda bad." He took another breath, then said, "A lot like yours," he glanced at Cordelia, who nodded back. "Except for the later stuff. We broke up - badly - and never got back together. Buffy and Willow kept pushing me out of the slaying, or trying to. I never made it far past Oxnard after graduation, and then when I came back... you'd left, and then I kinda drifted aimlessly for years. Odd jobs... ended up working in construction. Got engaged to someone else, and _that_ ended real bad. All sorts of weird stuff. Killer cyborgs, Willow turning evil and trying to end the world, Buffy dying and coming back again somehow, and there was this Hellgoddess who somehow stuck Buffy's little sister into everyone's heads... "

"Wait - Buffy doesn't _have_ a sister?" Cordelia said, confused.

"I know. That's the weird part, right?" Xander said, and she nodded. "And then finally we were all fighting this big massive evil, including Faith - and _losing_ - and this weird priest guy put my eye out."

"Ow. Yuck," Faith said, wincing.

"Oh yeah - you should have heard it from _my_ end," Xander shuddered, rubbing at his eye again. "All sorts of other stuff mixed in all that. Like Spike being good, only not good. Hearing that Cordy'd turned evil..."

"Yeah. Lots more to mine too. I just kinda listed the high points," Faith said. She frowned, "Low points?" The others nodded and she said, "It was like, hours and hours of this stuff - a whole weird lifetime, y'know?"

"Yeah. Years compressed into flashes over hours," Cordelia said, shuddering.

Faith bit at her lip, her eyes dark, "Hey, you guys gotta know - I'd never turn on you like that. Right?"

Xander nodded, and after a moment, so did Cordelia. "I know," she said. "I don't think you would. I don't think any of us would do some of those things."

Xander put out his hand and drew Faith down next to him, his arm around her shoulders. After resisting for a minute, she gave in and let him pull her down, snuggling against his chest. He drew Cordelia down and against him with his other arm.

"Right," Faith said. "'Cept maybe Cordy turning evil. I could buy that," she said, smiling lopsidedly.

"Hey!" Cordelia's eyes flashed at her, and then she laughed. Reaching over, she swatted Faith lightly on the arm, "If I turned evil, I'd do it with a lot more _style_ than that skanky bitch in _my_ dream, thank you."

"Keep tellin' yourself that," Faith said, snickering.

"Ok, so why'd we all get dreams including the three of us like that?" Xander wondered.

"Huh," Faith said. She bit at her lower lip again, thinking. "You don't think it could have anything to do with that medicine wheel thing in the caves, do you?"

"Oh, great," Cordelia said, sitting up on one elbow and glaring. "I _told_ you not to touch it, Doofus." She slapped Xander lightly on the chest.

"Hey," Faith snagged Cordelia's hand before she could whop Xander again, possibly harder this time. "Don't think it's Xan's fault. I could've just as easily have stumbled into that thing going into the cave."

"I know," Cordelia said, groaning. "It's just... we were supposed to be _away_ from the Hellmouth for a week. Away from magic, and demons, and things trying to eat us, and _everything_ like that. Is this stuff going to follow us _everywhere_ we go for the rest of our _lives_?"

"Shhh," Xander said, drawing her down again. he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her on top of the head. "I know. But it's just dreams, right?"

"But what if it isn't?" Cordelia's voice was plaintive. "I had my whole life planned out! I was supposed to be popular, be the Homecoming and Prom Queen, marry a rich guy and then go to all the best parties and a huge house and the full nine yards. _Not_ spend the rest of my life fighting monsters and demons and things trying to end the world, dammit!"

"Ok, well, I can't do much about the rich guy thing, I guess," Xander said. His expression was odd, and a bit wistful. "I _can_ promise you won't have to deal with the monsters alone... "

"Oh, I didn't mean _you_, Doof," Cordelia said. "You're one of the good things in all this." She sighed heavily, "You're right. Probably just nightmares."

"Right," Faith said. She slid a hand over Cordelia's where it rested on Xander's chest, deciding not to mention the similarities she'd noticed between these and Slayer dreams. Not just yet. "And if it's just dreams," Faith said, "It's kind of a lame menace, you know? Not like something trying to eat our faces off."

"Right. That's probably next," Cordelia said, grumbling. She let herself be mollified, though, her hand slowly relaxing under Faith's.

"What _I_ want to know is," Xander said, "If I had to have hours of dreams with the two of you, why couldn't they have had hours of hot steamy threesome Cordy and Faith sex?"

Cordelia snickered. "Down, Hormone Boy," she said. "I'd swat you, but Faith's holding my hand down." Xander laughed softly.

"Oh yeah, like _you've_ never steamed the inside of your eyelids open with dreams like that, C," Faith said.

"And that is _so_ beside the point," Cordelia stated. "Duh."

Settling in more comfortably, Faith remarked, "I seem to remember some hot steam making in that one part, Xan." Wincing slightly, she added, "Earlier, not the later one."

"I'm not remembering that on the grounds that my girlfriend might kill me," Xander said. "Although the scene where you tried to strangle me was kinda steamy, too."

"Ok, now _that's_ just kinky, guy," Faith shook her head against his chest, chuckling.

"Ew. That's just wrong," Cordelia added. "I don't want to know about those parts, right?"

"Right." Xander thought for a minute, adding, "In the interests of my continuing not being Cordy murdered."

"Think we should go back to that cave tomorrow so we can see if we can get a good description for the Jeeves?" Faith asked. "So he can maybe figure something out on this, I mean."

"Maybe... " Cordelia said in a sleepy tone. "Me, I think it's all _your_ fault: you caused the whole thing so you'd have an excuse to crawl into bed with me and Xander."

"Ah." Faith said. She thought about that for a minute. "Works. 'Cause it's something I'd do, if I could like, do magic and shit."

**...**

There was a time once, not so long ago, where waking up with two beautiful girls curled in next to him was the stuff of sheer fantasy for Xander Harris. _Not_ a reality. In Xander's admittedly brief observations, that was a reality that just flat didn't happen to guys like him, especially not in High School.

Waking up with two beautiful girls curled up next to him that were there because they actually _liked_ and trusted him, _not_ because of love spells or lust spells or other Hellmouthy magics, was something so far out of the bounds of reality he could barely wrap his mind around it. And yet, there it was. It was already hard for him to remember that barely two months ago, this was something that even in his fantasies he'd been unable to entertain without a small voice in the back of his mind going _'yeah, riiiigggghhhttt'_ in his mental ear.

Faith moved slightly in her sleep and he looked down at her, smiling slightly. Faith always managed to look so... young when she was sleeping like this. Her face had a childlike beauty to it that was completely unlike the tough, aggressive, sexpot facade she usually showed the world. And, based on some of the things she'd said and done, he had the feeling he might be one of the only people in the world, _ever_, to have seen her like this. He'd managed to gather that relaxing her guard enough to sleep - just _sleep_ - with someone was something she very seldom, if _ever_, did.

Xander moved his gaze to the side to the other girl snuggled into him. And that was a whole 'nother set of weird, he thought. He couldn't help having a tiny, louder voice in the back of his mind jump up and down screaming _'Yes! Cordelia __Chase__ is sleeping with me! __Cordelia__ wants to have __sex__ with me!'_ followed by it doing cartwheels around the inside of his skull shouting _'Yipeeee!'_ at the top of its lungs.

He couldn't really blame it. He was kinda tempted to do cartwheels and shout _'Yipeee!'_ a few times, himself.

Innocent and childlike wasn't a thought that came to Xander's mind while looking down at the sleeping Cordelia. 'Beautiful' was the only thing that came to him, or maybe 'gorgeous', beautiful in a way that caused his breath to catch in his throat and his heart to freeze in his chest. Even if 'beautiful' was a completely inadequate word, it was the only one that he could come up with. Not even Cordelia sleeping with her mouth slightly open as she was now, and with a tiny crust of drool at the corner of her lips could change his mind on that one.

Her being human and real enough to drool in her sleep just made her all that much more gorgeous to him, and raised his wonder levels just that much higher.

_'This is the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with,'_ went through his mind. Followed immediately by a second thought; _'No, __these__ are the __two__ girls I want to spend the rest of my life with. Best friend and the girl I love.'_ Xander shook his head gently, realizing with a bit of shock that the 'best friend' applied to both girls: Cordelia had somewhere along the line become both - best friend and the girl he loved.

Xander was doing his level best to not extend the same thought to Faith. A thought that was pretty hard to banish: Faith had made it pretty clear in ways both subtle and not that she'd slide straight into a 'best friend with sex' arrangement with both him and Cordelia at the same time with only half an invitation needed. All she was waiting for was the invitation. And, active fantasy life aside, while admittedly he didn't have a lot of experience to go by, Xander had the feeling that trying to be in a relationship with two gorgeous women at once would be kind of like willingly stepping into a running chainsaw. Not only that, but Cordelia was also pretty straightforward about the fact that she wasn't much into sharing in that way.

Which didn't really explain why she actively flirted back with Faith at every opportunity whenever they started joking along those lines... Xander wrenched his mind away from that line of thought with an effort. Definitely _not_ going there. That line of thinking led to an embarrassing situation with Cordelia's breasts pressed against one side of his chest along with a length of long silken thigh over his leg, and Faith's breast pressing into his other - no, _definitely_ not going there. He wrestled his mind onto other things again.

That best friend thing was a thought that was pretty odd in and of itself. Always before, Willow had been the only girl who'd ever gotten the 'best friend' association from his mind, with Buffy running close behind her as 'close friend', not quite catching up in the _best_ friend category. Now, Willow was still 'best friend' - she always would be - but somehow she'd been joined by two others. Whereas, Buffy... he was starting to wonder if Buffy'd ever really been as much of a friend as he'd thought she was.

_That_ thought shot a slight pang of disloyalty through him. It also for some reason reminded Xander of the too vivid dreams from earlier in the night, with an accompanying mental shudder.

In contrast to the sharp edged clearness those nightmares had had when he and Cordelia had first woken up from them, they'd faded almost completely into a kind of soft fuzzy blur of dimly seen images now that he'd gotten some more sleep. Dimly seen, and even more dimly remembered. If they were anything like normal nightmares, he was pretty sure that at this rate he'd barely remember having dreamed at all in a couple of days or so.

After two years since meeting Buffy Summers followed by the Harvest and having to stake Jesse, Xander Harris had become quite the connoisseur of nightmares. He _should_ be: he'd had enough of them almost nightly over the past two years...

What highlights he could remember of these, though, terrified him. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that a great deal of the things that had shaken and broken their small circle of friends and monster hunters had come about as a direct result of actions he'd taken - or _not_ taken - even if he couldn't remember what those actions _were_, now. Worse... he could clearly remember the deep, intense sense of loss he'd felt in that dream reality when it had finally sunk in to him that Cordelia was completely and irreparably lost to him as a result of... whatever it was he'd done. And the equally deep sense of loss when he'd known that Faith was gone from him as well, lost somewhere to her own wildness with him unable to help. Then the worse loss, worse even than that from losing the unknown woman he'd almost... married? When he'd discovered Cordelia's death and known she was gone forever...

Faith moved against him slightly, again, and he glanced down at both brunettes. An intense surge of fierce protectiveness surged through him as something rose up in the back of his mind snarling at the thought that anything could hurt these two girls. He had to resist an impulse to crush both women to him, hard, and never let go. The protective feeling was met by an equally intense tenderness.

_'No power on this earth will ever get past me to hurt these two,'_ went through his mind, almost as a vow. _'Not as long as I'm alive to do anything about it. No power on this earth.'_

Xander hadn't realized he'd murmured the last bit aloud, or any of it, really, until Faith stirred against him and looked up, blinking sleepily at him.

"Huh?" She asked, her voice husky from sleep. "Wha wuz zat?"

"Nothing," Xander said, smiling. "Just muttering in my sleep, I guess."

"Ah. S'ok." Raising her head slightly, Faith reached out to brush back a strand of hair from Cordelia's eyes, smiling when the cheerleader stirred slightly and muttered something before burrowing deeper under Xander's arm. "Go back to sleep?" She asked sleepily, glancing up.

"Sounds like a plan," Xander agreed.

"Good," Faith nodded and dropped her head back against his chest. "Comfy. You make a good teddy bear."

On the long list of things you could have a good looking brunette say to you on the morning after spending the night together, Xander reflected, 'good teddy bear' was pretty far from the worst. As he drifted back down to sleep again himself, he thought that it'd do pretty damned nicely, matter of fact.


	6. Chapter 5: What do you mean, gone?

**Chapter 5: What do you mean, gone?**

_**Saturday September 5, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, late morning.**_

Washing another bite of omelet down with a swig of coffee, Faith threw Xander an approving nod and grin before cocking an eyebrow at Cordelia. "Good stuff," she said. "Can see why you decided he was a keeper, C."

"Did that before I knew he could cook," Cordelia admitted, laughing softly. Xander blushed at the still unaccustomed praise from his two friends.

"I keep telling you guys," he said, "It's _not_ cooking - it's a survival skill."

"Microwaving _pizza_ is a survival skill," Cordelia remarked. "Turning eggs and cheese into something not frisbee-like is something else."

"Hey," Xander said, grinning, "You haven't lived until you've had one of my microwaved pizzas. I've had _lots_ of practice at those."

Cordelia grinned back at him. Pushing her plate away, she leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "Ok," she said, "So... do we want to try and call Giles and ask him about those nightmares and the medicine thingy?"

"Hrmm." Faith said, frowning. She scraped another bite of her remaining omelet into her mouth and chewed on it while thinking. "Dunno," she said, finally. "It'd help if we could like, remember the dreams and what they were."

"As opposed to just 'really _really_ bad', yeah," Xander said. The other two teens nodded. "Y'know, last night I was pretty freaked. It was so real I thought it'd be burned into my brain forever," he added. "Now... " Xander made an aimless gesture, "I can barely remember any of it. It's all... "

"Faded like a bad dream?" Faith suggested. Xander mimed throwing a corner of toast at her and she snickered, then nodded seriously. "I know," she said. "Kinda like Slayer dreams, except... those don't fade on me like this."

"They don't?" Cordelia's expression was half curious, half alarmed. "Not at all?" Xander made a face, also, as the ramifications of that sank in on him.

"Nope." Faith shook her head, saying, "Remember every one I ever had, clear as when I had it. Even what my Watcher used to call 'Potential Dreams'."

"Yuck," Cordelia said, making a face. "Considering what little Buffy said about hers, that'd be, like, horrible."

Faith shrugged, her expression indifferent. Xander gave her a sharp look, "Potential Dreams?" He asked.

"Yeah," Faith shrugged again, nodding. "You start getting 'em sometimes months before you get Called. It's like watching past lives of all the slayers before you, and Technicolor monster flicks, only you don't know what's going on." She looked thoughtful, "Di-my Watcher said they're teaching dreams to kinda, like, prepare us for being a Slayer."

"Not much preparation if you don't know what's going on," Cordelia remarked.

"Yeah, well," Faith said, "No one ever said this wasn't a sucky deal, some ways." She grinned, "Least it's better than getting completely dropped in the deep end all unawares and shit."

"I thought you _liked_ being the Slayer," Xander said, his voice curious. "Don't think I ever heard you complain about it before."

"I do. And I'm not," Faith stated, looking thoughtful. "Doesn't mean that parts of it don't suck." She pushed her empty plate out to join Cordelia's. "Still a pretty good deal, all in all," she added.

"Huh." Cordelia nodded thoughtfully, her eyes dark. "If you don't mind the lifetime invitation to the Monster's Ball," she said.

"But there's the super strength and speed, and the fast healing," Faith said, smiling. "And you get, like, I dunno... a kind of a purpose, y'know? Not _everyone_ gets to know what they're here for."

Xander met Faith's whiskey colored eyes and nodded, slowly. "Yeah," he said, simply. She nodded back, her lips curling up slightly at the corners.

"Ok, so you don't think these were like Slayer dreams, then?" Cordelia asked.

"Like, kinda? But they wouldn't have faded for me if they were, I don't think?" Faith said. "And, I never heard of anyone not a Slayer getting them... " Faith frowned, slightly, "Doesn't mean they weren't some sort of mystical shit, though. Not with all of us getting them like that."

"Right," Cordelia said. "So, like, no Giles then?"

"Huh." Faith thought about it, then said, "Why don't we ride down to those caves again, and get a good look at the place where that wheel is? So we can give him a good description of it and all?"

"And get eaten by whatever demony thing is there?"

"Hey, we're the Night Watchmen, right?" Faith grinned at the cheerleader. "We eat demony things for breakfast," she remarked. "When we're not having eggs of the Xander."

"Hey! I just scrambled them," Xander said. "I didn't lay 'em."

"Keep telling yourself that, Xan," Cordelia said, patting him on the arm reassuringly. She ignored his look of mock outrage, cocking her head at Faith. "Better idea: let's go riding this morning, and forget all about nightmares and demon stuff for awhile. We can take Daddy's bass boat out to the caves this afternoon."

"Easier to carry some weapons with," Xander said, "Just in case there _is_ something demony."

"Suits," Faith said. She poured herself another mug of coffee.

**...**

_**Saturday September 5, 1998; E. Chestnut St., Sunnydale, late morning.**_

Setting down the last of the crates from the back of the delivery truck, Devon straightened, rubbing at his back and groaning. "Last of it, Oz-man." He and the other two band members bumped hands briefly with the small guitarist. "Think we're gone," Devon added.

"Cool." Oz nodded. "Thanks, guys."

"Hey, no problem," Devon said, grinning. "Just don't forget to show for the gig Tuesday night, hey?" Jerking his head over to where Willow was opening a crate of books, he added, "You and your girl."

With a slight smile, Oz nodded and waved them off as the three Dingoes members filed out of the store front. He went over to start unpacking a weight bench while Willow began un-crating the books.

In the days since they'd acquired the building, the former store front had undergone an amazing transformation in a short amount of time. Still not quite outfitted fully into something that could be called a 'training area', never the less, all of the debris had been cleared away and it was cleaned now, and pre-fabricated racks now lined the walls of the main open area. Rolled up mats lay around the outer walls as well, ready to be unrolled and placed into sparring areas. Tables lined the rear walls near the back, ready to be moved into final positions once the rest of the shelving and equipment was sorted out.

"Ah, did your friends take off, then?" Rupert Giles wandered out of the office area where he'd been setting up bookshelves, his hands in his pockets.

"All unloaded now, yup," Oz said.

"Excellent," Giles remarked. Lowering his glasses slight, he peered over the top at the two teens. "I really do appreciate your coming in to help with this while Faith and the others are away," he said.

"Oh, no problem, Giles," Willow looked up from the crate, smiling. "We kinda want to get this done too, you know?"

"Yes, well," Giles said, "You really shouldn't have to give up your final days of vacation to assemble equipment and sort weaponry."

"Oh, we'll still get in some fun time," Willow said. "Don't worry."

"And we kind of have an ulterior motive," Oz stated.

"Ah. I should have known," Giles remarked, pursing his lips slightly. His dry tone was offset by the slight amusement in his expression, as he asked, "What, pray tell, would that be?"

Oz lowered his head slightly, studying a set of bright green fingernails that matched his current hair color. Glancing up, he said, "I told Devon and the guys that I'd ask you if we could use this place to practice in at times when were weren't training here."

"Oh - but only a few nights a week, kinda," Willow added.

"Hmmm." Giles studied them both carefully. "Well," he said, "I don't see why not. As long as it doesn't interfere with our training schedules, of course."

"Cool," Oz said. "Especially since my dad's getting back into wanting the home workshop thing, so we're losing my folk's garage."

"I see," Giles said. "Well, never let it be said that I'm one to stand in the way of the performing arts."

"You really _haven't_ heard us play, then," Oz remarked in a dry tone. Willow giggled. Oz cut his eyes at her, smiling slightly, "It's not exactly art."

"All the more need to practice, then, I would assume," Giles said. "I will, however," he glanced sternly at the young man, "Hold you responsible for making certain the place is locked up when you're not in practice."

"Well, sure," Oz nodded. He glanced back towards the office area, frowning slightly. "I was thinking... " he began, trailing off.

"Yes?"

"That storage room back of the office and behind the bathrooms," Oz said. "Can get some heavy bar stock from the salvage yard, and my uncle's welding equipment." He shrugged slightly, "Be a good place to build a heavy duty cage for moon nights."

"Hmm." Giles said, looking abstracted for a few moments as he visualized the storage room. "Why yes, it would." He glanced sharply at Oz, "You can weld?"

"Man of many talents," the teen said, spreading his hands slightly.

"So I see," Giles nodded. "Well, if you can get the materials, we'll see what we can work up. It _would_ prevent mishaps if anyone should stumble into the library late at night on full moon evenings."

"My thinking," Oz said, and Willow nodded enthusiastically.

"We'll still need the library cage for tonight and tomorrow," Willow said, "But next month, maybe?"

"Of course," Giles said, nodding. "We do seem to have made quite a bit of progress here, I must say."

"Yeah," Willow bobbed her head in agreement. "And we have a UPS delivery tomorrow. Some more crossbows, bows, and arrow rifle weapons and things."

"Really?" Giles removed his glasses, polishing them while looking at her. "Some items purchased from your ah, Scooby fund?"

"Uh huh," Willow said, and Oz nodded in agreement. "Since we had, like, extra from that last vamp raid, we put it on one of those cash cards to order off the Internet with."

"Excellent. I'm certain that Faith will be delighted with your efforts, very commendable," Giles said. He replaced his glasses as Willow beamed under the praise. "Oh, and I have some news of my own. I believe that I may have located a magic instructor for you to supplement what my meager skills can provide."

Willow's face lit up at that. "Cool!" She said, "When can we meet them? Her? Him?"

"Her," Giles stated. "And... probably the weekend after school starts. We can make a trip up to Santa Barbara that weekend, if you're willing."

"Cool," Willow said again.

"Excellent," Giles said, nodding again. "Well, I do hope that the two of you won't mind finishing up here today? I really do need to swing by my flat in preparation for leaving for Monterey and then Sacramento."

"Another lead on Buffy?" Willow looked up, her expression hopeful.

"Alas, no," Giles said, scowling slightly. "I'm afraid not. I have some other business I need to take care of that will keep me away for a few days."

"Oh," Willow said. Her shoulders slumped, slightly.

"I too would like to locate Buffy, Willow," Giles said in a gentle tone. "However, I begin to fear that we may not unless and until she is ready to be found."

"I know," Willow said. "I just... miss her, you know?"

"Quite," Giles said. "Well, I really must be off." He glanced at his watch, pursing his lips again, "I should be back in time for school start on Tuesday, at the very latest."

"Works," Oz said. "Don't worry - we'll finish up here and close up."

Willow was quiet and thoughtful for a long time after Giles left. Oz stayed quiet as well, finishing assembling the weight bench and starting on the next one. He studied his girl friend covertly while working.

Finally, he cleared his throat slightly. When Willow glanced over at him, he gave her a slight smile. "Heavy quietness going on over here," he said.

"Yeah," Willow nodded, smiling back. "Sorry."

"No problems," Oz said. "I like Willow silences. And Willow non-silences."

Willow grinned at him. "I get the feeling you just like Willowness."

"Well, yeah," Oz said, shrugging. "It's a thing." He cocked his head slightly, "Worried about Buffy?"

"No," Willow said, shaking her head and frowning slightly. Her eyes widened a bit when she realized what she'd said. "Well, yeah, I mean. Just... not really why I've been kinda quiet lately."

"Ah." Oz said, studying her. Finishing up the bench, he set the parts for the big exercise machine out carefully after slitting open the box. "Want to tell me?"

"Well... " Willow said, biting her lower lip. Finally, she blurted out, "Am I a good friend?"

"Huh?" Oz frowned. "Well, you're a good friend to me." Inclining his head slightly, he asked, "What brings this on?"

Willow sighed heavily. "I had that big fight with Xander," she said.

"Ah. Hence the broody thing," Oz said. He nodded, indicating he remembered picking her up at the diner afterwards, several nights ago.

"Right. And now he hates me." Willow scowled.

"Kinda doubt that," Oz stated. He watched her expectantly, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Ok, so _maybe_ I'm exaggerating a bit," Willow admitted. "But he wasn't happy with me."

"Happens," Oz said. He gave her a curious glance, "What was the fight about?"

"Oh... Xander and Cordelia exchanged rings," Willow said. "And I found out and I got a bit freaked, you know?" Oz nodded and she continued, "And we kinda argued about it and he ended up saying that if we were really friends, I'd be happy for them."

"Ah. And you're not?"

"Well, yeah, kinda?" Willow said. She scowled again. "And kinda not? I'm all mixed up now."

"Hmm." Oz frowned slightly, but didn't say anything else, just watched her.

"Ok, so maybe I'm not being all supporty girl and I should be," Willow said. "An yeah, I should be happy that Xander found someone who really seems to like him, 'cause, hey - he's a great guy. But it's Cordelia, y'know?"

Oz nodded, still not saying anything.

"And yeah, ok - Xander's right: I did support Buffy and Angel, and _that_ led to all sorts of badness, and so I should be able to be happy for him, too, right?"

"Right," Oz ventured. Willow scowled at him, and Oz held up his hands placatingly, "Wrong?"

"No, you're right." Willow sighed like a deflating tire. "I'm really not a very good friend."

"I didn't say that," Oz objected in a mild voice.

"No, you didn't have to."

"Ok, so it was kinda freaky at first," Oz said, looking thoughtful. "But they make a good couple. Good for each other."

"You think?" Willow looked up at him, startled.

"Well," Oz shrugged, "Yeah. Cordelia's gotten a lot nicer since they've been together. And Xander's gotten more confident." He smiled slightly, "And they seem happy."

"Great." Willow said. "Who's side are you on, anyway?"

"There's sides?" Oz raised his eyebrows, and after a moment Willow laughed a bit raggedly.

"No, not really, I guess." Willow sighed again.

"You don't have to like Cordelia to be happy for your friend," Oz suggested.

"Yeah, I guess," Willow said. "But it's hard, y'know? I mean, like, promise rings! That's a big deal, isn't it? And then there's engagement rings, and ooh - getting married after Graduation, and then kids, and hey... they might want me to be a godparent and... "

"Ummm... " Both of Oz's eyebrows went up again. "Getting a bit ahead of things, you think?"

"Maybe?" Willow's eyes were big. She scowled, "Yeah, probably. And hey - they may not last."

Oz nodded. "Always a bright side."

"Yeah!" Willow giggled, then sobered. "No, that's not really a bright side. Then Xander'd be all crushed, and it'd be horrible." She sighed again, shaking her head.

"There you go, then," Oz said. He shrugged, smiling slightly, "Seems to me that you don't have to like Xander's choices to support what makes him happy."

"Right. I guess." Willow frowned, biting at her lower lip.

"Do you want to have Xander break up with Cordelia because he thinks that's what would make you happy?" Oz asked, watching his girlfriend carefully.

"No!" Willow said. Making a face, she added, "Then he'd really hate me. Both of them would, and they'd be right to, I guess."

"Right. I think... " Oz started, then trailed off. Willow looked at him expectantly, and he shrugged again, quirking his lips. "I think that a friend wants what's best for their friends and what they want even if they don't see it. Not just what they _think_ is best for the friend."

"Huh," Willow cocked her head at him, then scowled. "That's kinda what Cordelia said."

"Ah." Finishing setting out the weight machine parts, Oz shook his head and moved over to Willow. Putting his arms around her, he kissed the top of her head gently. "I don't think you're a bad friend. But I think being a good friend is hard sometimes."

"Yeah." Willow snuggled into his arms, enjoying the sensation. "It doesn't get easier, does it?"

"No," Oz said. "Guess you have a lot of thinking to do."

**...**

_**Saturday September 5, 1998; caves near Lake Cachuma, late afternoon/early evening.**_

"Huh," Faith said. She kicked a rock, scowling as it skittered across the limestone floor out of the beams of their flashlights. "I know that side cave was right here, dammit."

"Yeah," Xander said. Kneeling a short distance away, he played the beam of his light along the gallery floor. "Our boot prints from yesterday are still here."

"Okayy... " Cordelia said. "So why am I seeing a blank rock wall where the cave entrance should be?"

"Uh, magic?" Xander ventured, smirking at her.

"Gee, _thank_ you Mr. Wizard," Cordelia stuck her tongue out at him. "I _so_ never would have figured _that_ out on my own."

"I know. That's why you keep me around," Xander said, smugly. "Or not," he amended, hastily, as Cordelia shot him the death glare to end all death glares.

"Ok, this is way too freaky," Faith said as she came over to join them. "What say we get outta here and head back to the rancho?" Closing her hands in a frustrated gesture, she cracked all of her knuckles at once.

"Suits," Cordelia said, nodding. She sighed, "So much for my career as a famous adventuress."

"Yeah," Xander said. He slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. "You'll have to settle for just being gorgeous and rich."

"I'll suffer through somehow," she said, grinning. Turning her head, she kissed him deeply before breaking off the clinch and standing.

"Right," Faith said. "Just for inflicting all that shmoop on me, I almost hope you both get a double dose of dreams tonight."


	7. Chapter 6: Alternative Views

**Chapter 6: Alternative Views -**

_**Saturday September 5, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, night.**_

Faith finished off her last burger with a bit more deliberation than she had the first three she'd wolfed down. Stifling a belch, she washed it down with a swig of Tecate and slid her plate into the center of the patio table.

"Ugh. Stuffed," she said, sliding back in her chair and stretching out with her feet crossed at the ankles on the table.

"Umm hmm," Cordelia said lazily, agreeing. Her and Xander had already finished theirs, and were sprawled out comfortably in the corner of the love seat. Xander had his legs stretched out, feet propped up on the table, with Cordelia stretched out next to him, her legs alongside his and her laying against his chest.

Tightening his arms around Cordelia's waist, Xander nuzzled the hair over her ear before looking over at Faith with a small grin. "Good feed, I take it?"

"Yup," Faith said, raising her beer bottle in a slight salute at him. "Gonna have to keep you on permanent meat, fire, and sticks duty, Tiger."

"Hey - I helped," Cordelia stated. Watching the fire sleepily, she made a soft sound of pleasure as Xander rubbed her arms with his hands.

"That you did," Faith nodded. She stared into the outdoor fireplace as a log popped, sending sparks up into the flue. "Nice out here," she said. "I want a place like this, some day."

"Complete with horses?" Faith could hear the grin in Cordelia's voice without needing to look.

"You bet," she agreed, throwing a grin in the cheerleader's direction.

"We've corrupted her," Xander remarked. "Turned her into a regular Boston cowgirl."

"It had to be done," Cordelia said. She glanced up at the burgeoning full moon, and sighed. "I always loved it out here, especially when I was a kid."

"Never was much of a nature gal, myself," Faith said, "But I can see that. This could grow on yas." Grinning, she added, "Even if it is a long way to a packie from here."

"Packie?" Xander gave her a blank look.

"Package store? Convenience store?" It came out 'stoah' as her drawl thickened slightly. Faith hoisted her near empty Tecate bottle in his direction, then drained it and leaned forward to set it on the table. "Y'know - where you goes to buy more beer."

"Ah." Xander nodded sagely. "What we call the beah stoah," he replied, quirking a half grin back at her.

"You making fun of my accent?" Faith scowled at him, then broke out into one of her rare full smiles, one that showed off her dimples.

"Who, me?" Xander's eyes widened comically. "No, nossir. No making fun going on here," he said. "Never make fun of girls who can twist me into Xander-pretzels, that's _my_ motto."

"Our hero," Cordelia sighed, fluttering her eyelashes. "Unflinching in the face of danger." Twisting slightly, she reached around herself to poke him gently in the ribs.

"I _never_ flinch," Xander declared, squirming to keep away from her digging fingers. "I scream girlishly and run."

"But in a manly way, of course," Faith added, laughing.

"Yup, that's me: manly girlish guy," Xander nodded, agreeing. He looked up at the nearly full moon, frowning slightly. "Guess Willow's wolf sitting tonight back at the Dale."

"Hope so," Cordelia said. "Good thing Oz is a responsible guy." Xander's head bobbed in agreement with her.

"That's just wicked strange," Faith remarked. "How'd Red hook up with Wolf Boy, anyway?"

Cordelia looked up at Xander from her position against his chest. She frowned. "Hrrmm. Had this kind of obvious thing for each other after they met at the Cultural Dance, and hooked up after that werewolf hunter tried to kill Oz?"

Xander thought for a moment, then nodded. "I think so. Pretty sure it was then, or maybe when we were stealing the rocket launcher?"

"Huh," Faith said, a small grin on her lips. "You guys lead wicked strange lives."

"What, you mean kids in Bahstan don't break into military bases and steal weapons?" Cordelia said, her eyes wide.

"Dressed like hookers?" Xander added. Cordelia snorted and poked him the ribs. "Ow."

"You dressed up like a hooker for that, Xan?" Faith asked, innocently. Cordelia laughed at Xander's splutter, and Faith shook her head. "Naw. In Southie, _we_ boost cars like normal delinquents."

"It's just sad how the standards have fallen for today's youth," Xander said.

"I _mean_," Cordelia said, snickering. "_Anyone_ can steal _cars_."

"Well, yeah," Faith said in an agreeable tone. "But we didn't have to blow up giant Smurf demons just to survive high school, neither."

"Tsk," Xander snuggled Cordelia tighter against him. "Kids today. _No_ sense of tradition."

They fell into a companionable silence for a long time after that, watching the fireplace flames. Faith divided her attention between the fire, the moonlit darkness past the deck railing, and surreptitiously watching her friends, feeling oddly content. _'Friends'_, she thought, rolling the word around in her head tasting it. It was a pisser of a bizarre concept for her, and one she was still only now getting used to.

A part of her wondered if the idea would ever not feel strange to her...

Stirring slightly in her seat, she looked over at Xander and Cordelia. "Not many more days left," she said. "You guys gonna be sad to leave this and head back to school?"

"Hmm. Looking forward to school," Xander said. "What a strange and alien idea."

"Little bit," Cordelia said, quietly. "Ok, more than a little. A part of me could stay up here forever." Xander smiled and kissed the top of her head. Glancing at Faith, Cordelia added, "You?"

"Yeah, kinda. Well, not the school thing, obviously," Faith said, grinning. She frowned slightly, "Well, part of me loves it here and could stay until... whenever, y'know?" She made an expansive gesture encompassing the cabin and surrounding area. "But a part of me is ready to get back to business once it's time to get back."

"Duty calls, and all that?" Xander asked, curiously.

"Something like?" Faith shrugged, smiling.

"Well, we still have another day and night before we have to leave Monday afternoon," Cordelia said. "I vote we enjoy ourselves and don't worry about it 'til then - Monday'll come soon enough."

"Suits."

"Speaking of nights... Think we'll have another round with the mystical dream monster?" Xander's voice was far to even and controlled, and both girls looked at him, frowning slightly.

Faith chewed at her lower lip for a long moment, before lifting her shoulders and letting them fall. "Dunno. Point me at something that needs killing and I'm your girl," she said, "Ask me about magic and dream stuff? You guys have as good a clue as I do."

"If it happens, it happens," Cordelia said in a thoughtful voice. "I know I was _freaked_ last night, but like Faith said... if nightmares are the worst it can do, it's kind of a lame monster."

"You weren't the only one freaked," Xander admitted. Faith nodded her agreement.

"Well, I for one don't see anything we can do about it," Cordelia said in a decisive tone. "So - how about we go in, put Princess Bride in the player, and then call it a night after?"

"Oh, I like that movie," Faith said. Catching the bemused looks from the other two, she glared, saying, "What? I can't like the Princess Bride?"

"Your tough gal image is forever ruined," Xander said, laughing. "Ruined, I say."

"Screw you, Harris," Faith said, snickering. She shot him the bird, getting up and starting to gather plates.

"Eh," Cordelia waved her off. "Leave that. We can clean up in the morning after breakfast."

**...**

Faith woke with a start, tense under the light covers. Near her in the bed, Cordelia and Xander were moving restlessly and muttering, still caught up in whatever dream visions had ensnared them. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Faith bit gently at her lower lip, debating whether or not to try and wake the two of them.

Deciding against it for the moment, she slipped quietly out of her side of the bed to pad silently to the bathroom. After washing her face and relieving herself, she returned, slipping back under the covers to watch over the other to until they woke up. A part of herself sneered at her from the back of her mind over the relief she felt that Cordelia had suggested they all sleep together in case of a repeat of the other night. She shoved it back down, ruthlessly.

Waking up alone after had been a scary shock the night before. Waking up knowing someone else was there was better, and to hell with her 'tough girl' self snickering that she was going soft.

Some time later, Corelia started awake, gasping, her eyes wild. Faith put out a hand carefully, not quite touching the other girl. "Hey," she said.

"Jeeze," Cordelia shook her head. "You too?" Faith nodded, brushing some hair back away from Cordelia's eyes. "Well, crap," the cheerleader said. Glancing at Xander, she saw that he was still tossing in the grips of whatever dreams he was ensnared in.

"Wasn't sure what'd happen if I woke you guys," Faith said, quietly, "So I just kinda watched while you rode it out."

Nodding, Cordelia bit at her lower lip, her eyes large. Mouthing quietly that she'd be right back, she slid out of bed and padded to the bathroom for her own waking up trip while Faith continued watching over Xander.

Back in bed, Cordelia smoothed the hair back from Xander's forehead, gently, as she joined Faith in waiting. After a time, Xander's eyes flew open and he stiffened, groaning and looking around wildly.

"Easy," Cordelia said. "It's ok... just a dream."

"Yeah?" Xander said, pushing himself up on his elbows. "Tell that to the inside of my head." Still, he quirked a half grin as he reached around to pull his pillows up so he could lean back against them sitting up somewhat. "Waking up with two scantily clad babes - and to think that a year ago, _this_ would have been the dream," he said.

Faith snickered and Cordelia remarked, "First thing on his mind is sex. Gee, I think he's ok."

Xander laughed softly, then sobered, "No, first thing on my mind was 'yeesh, again?' followed by nature screaming at me through my kidneys." Sitting up, he said, "Hold all sex thoughts until I get back." His eyes widened slightly and he stammered, "Err, not that you were having sex thoughts. Or that I was, or... "

Laughing, Faith gave him a slight push on the shoulder, "Go drain the lizard, Xan." Shaking his head and grinning, Xander climbed out of bed to head bathroom-wards.

"You don't look quite as shook up as last time," Cordelia observed, giving Faith a critical looking over.

"You either," Faith said, nodding. "Not quite as bad this time?"

"Not quite," Cordelia said. Frowning, she amended that to, "Well, there were _still_ really bad spots, but... "

"I know," Faith stated. "Bad, yeah, but not quite as nasty bad as the others."

Codelia nodded a bit absently, still frowning. "Bad enough in places, I guess," she said. "But no... not as nasty. No demon pregnancies and comas this time, anyway."

"Well, that's some improvement," Faith said. She was still running the images from her nightmares through her mind, trying to sort them out and fix them in her head before they faded - if they faded - like the previous dreams.

"What's an improvement?" Xander asked, returning to the bed. He put an arm around Cordelia as he sat on the edge of the bed, giving her a reassuring squeeze as she leaned into him for a kiss. He released her long enough to crawl back into bed and sprawl out sitting up against the pillows and headboard.

"We were just talking 'bout how these weren't as nasty as the last set," Faith told him.

"Oh, yeah," Xander said. "No eye gouging - always an improvement." He shuddered slightly, and then stiffened a bit as his mouth fell open slightly. "Whoa. I'm remembering bits and pieces from the earlier ones again too, kinda all jumbled together."

"Huh." Faith nodded slowly, as did Cordelia. "Wicked strange," she said. "Me too, kinda. But mostly I remember us talking about the last ones." Shaking her head slightly, Faith added, "Why don't we trade stories again like last time, see if any of this makes sense?"

"Yeah," Cordelia said. "As much as this weird crap ever makes any sense, anyway," she added. "A lot things happened kind of the same, only not, if that makes any sense?" The other two nodded, and she continued, "We still had the major weirdness with the big demon and Graduation, only you didn't turn evil and try to kill everyone," she said, looking at Faith, "And I didn't leave at the end like I did before. And then all of this strangeness with secret government projects and Hellgods and... " Cordelia's eyes went wide and she thumped Xander soundly on the shoulder, getting an 'ow' and outraged look. "And I married _Xander_?! Jeeze..."

Faith snickered, and Xander gave Cordelia a wounded look, "What? That's a bad thing?"

"No, but... " Cordelia shook her head, looking strangely at him. "No, actually, that part was kind of great," Xander smirked and she swatted at him again, "But I lost my parents and we lost all our _money_? Jeeze."

"Hey, you think you had it bad," Xander said, giving his girlfriend a comforting squeeze on her shoulder, "I joined the _military_ after school because I couldn't get into college with everyone else."

"But no eye gouging, that's a plus," Faith stated, grinning slightly. "Right? And no end the world demon pregnancies."

With a short break for getting some drinks and making themselves comfortable, they finished trading what they could remember of the latest dream visions, if that was indeed what they were. Then they spent some time comparing the newer ones to the fragments of the previous dreams they could recall. Finally, Cordelia settled into the curve of Xander's arm, looking pensive.

"No demon cyborg," Faith said. "But still government badness."

"Right," Xander nodded. "Still a Hellgoddess, but no mystical Buffy sister?"

"Mystical something, though," Cordelia said, shaking her head. "But no evil Willow, which from the way you sounded before, is of the good."

"I still killed that guy," Faith said quietly. Cordelia gave her a sympathetic look. "But I didn't go way over the edge this time..."

"Ok, so... " Cordelia frowned slightly, "I can think of one big difference here between the two sets. We never betrayed each other and then went our separate ways in this last go around like we did before."

Xander winced, either at the blunt statement or the memory from earlier, as did Faith. Faith nodded slowly, a slight crease between her eyebrows, "Two," she said. "The first time around, I got here later. Like, a _lot_ later, months even, in the ones where everything went all nasty on us."

Xander rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, nodding. "As opposed to showing up in July like you did," Cordelia said, agreeing. "We never all had a chance to get to be friends or not get all cut off from each other."

"Right," Xander said. "You and I didn't get as close," he squeezed Cordelia again, "And Faith ended up getting shoved out of the group like I did... " he trailed off.

"Because she showed up after Buffy came back and the focus was all Buffy, all the time," Cordelia finished for him. Xander glared at her uncomfortably and she glared back at him. "Hey! You know it's true, you had almost the same dreams, right? And I _know_ you remember how territorial she was around Kendra - picture how she'd be to a new Slayer showing up to _stay_."

Xander grumbled something under his breath, looking away. Faith cut in, hoping to defuse the argument, "Still seems like the biggest diff was me showing up earlier and you not going away for the summer, C." She made a vague gesture, then pushed her hair back from her face with both hands, "Kinda changed the whole picture."

Cordelia nodded, letting it go. Xander looked a bit mollified, if still a bit disgruntled.

"Just dreams, anyway, right?" He said. "Ok, so like, freaky living Technicolor and extremely graphic dreams, but still just dreams."

"Right," Cordelia said, sounding unconvinced.

"Not sure what the point is, anyway," Xander grumbled, "If we're not going to remember much or any of this tomorrow. Not like we're getting anything we can make choices off of."

"Heh. Something from that cave fucking with our heads?" Faith suggested. "We already know there's something weird there, what with it disappearing on us and all."

"Good a theory as any, I guess," Cordelia admitted.

Xander reached out his other hand and trailed his fingers down Faith's cheek. When she looked at him, he said, "I didn't realize we hurt you that bad."

"Huh?" Faith's expression was startled. "You didn't. I mean... you haven't." She ran a hand through her hand, grabbing his with the other one, "Fuck. I'm not sure what I mean." Taking a deep breath, she said, "Fuck, you guys have been good to me, Xan. Better than anyone else I've known, right?"

"I think he means in that other life," Cordelia said. Xander nodded, and she added, "Lives, dreams, nightmare, whatever."

"And I really didn't mean to hurt you like that," Xander told Cordelia. She nodded, biting at her lip.

"Listen guys. It never happened," Faith said, shaking her head. "Not _gonna_ happen. Don't care what some weird dream visions or supernatural thing screwing with our heads tries to say."

"Right," Cordelia said. "Because we're not going to let it." Her voice and expression were firm, but there was a slight uneasiness in the back of her eyes.

"I think," Xander said as he slid farther down in the bed, reaching back to pull his pillows under his head, "That we should go ahead and get some sleep. See if we even remember any of this tomorrow."

"Probably a good plan," Faith admitted. She reached over to turn out the bedside lamp before sliding down under the covers, her eyes still slightly troubled. The corners of her lips turned up mischievously after a moment, "Am gonna let you guys get some privacy time tomorrow night, though," she said.

"We'll try to be quieter," Cordelia said, giggling softly as she settled in next to Xander.

Closing his eyes and stroking Cordelia's hair as she lay against him, Xander said in a sleepy voice, "Don't believe in fate or destiny anyway. Or portents. Make our own choices."

"Yeah," Cordelia murmured. "And I say _one_ of those is we don't let _anything_ drive us all apart."

"Sounds good," Faith said.

"Even if it _does_ mean I have to marry Doofus," Cordelia added.

"Hey!"


	8. Chapter 7: What dreams may go

**Chapter 7: What dreams may go -**

_**Sunday September 6, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, late morning.**_

"So, no go on the memory thing, huh?" Faith swirled her coffee around in her mug, looking down into it. She took a swing, looking curiously at her friends.

By a kind of mutual and unspoken agreement, all of them had put off discussion of the previous night's dreams until after breakfast. Now, with all of the plates pushed to the center of the table, empty, small talk had kind of trailed off as they sat back enjoying the last of the morning coffee.

"No," Cordelia said. She shook her head. "Well, I remember discussing them last night, and what we talked about, but... "

"The dreams themselves are gone all fuzzy and dim," Xander finished for her as Cordelia trailed off. "Just like they did the time before."

"Me too," Faith said. She sighed heavily, adding, "If it wasn't for that vanishing cave, I'd half write the whole thing off as nothing but dreams, y'know?"

"That," Cordelia said, "And all of us having them with overlapping stuff."

"Probably all for the good," Xander stated. The two girls looked at him, and he shrugged, quirking a lopsided grin back at them. "The not remembering, I mean."

"You think?" Faith asked. Her eyebrows came down as she studied him.

"Well, yeah," Xander spread his hands slightly, looking at Cordelia. "If we remembered them real clear, we might get all paranoid about if we were supposed to do something, or not do something. We might screw things up from trying to not screw things up."

"That almost made sense, in kind of a sideways sort of fashion," Cordelia admitted. She looked suspiciously at Xander, then smiled brightly at him, "Ok, so who swapped you out for insight guy all of a sudden?" Faith snickered, shaking her head.

"Gee, thanks," Xander said. He gave her a mockingly wounded look. "Look," he said, brushing his hair back roughly, "I'm not much for this portent and destiny stuff, right? If I was, I never would have gone down to that cave with Angel and Buffy would have stayed dead like that Percheron Codex or whatever said she was supposed to." His face set stubbornly, "I think we make our own choices."

"Yeah," Faith said, slowly, studying him. "But if you hadn't known what that prophecy said, would you have thought you _needed_ to go down there after her?"

Xander scowled, blowing out his breath with a frustrated sound. He threw his hands up, not saying anything, but his expression was still stubborn.

"Well, yeah," Cordelia said. She flashed Xander her full intensity grin, "He'd have gone anyway, because that's what he does." Xander gave her a surprised look and a return grin that was only slightly dimmed when she added, almost as an afterthought, "The big goof."

Faith lips twitched as she watched the two of them. "Well, as long as he always uses those powers for good, I guess."

"Right," Cordelia nodded. "Well, I for one don't intend to let any of this stuff ruin our last full day of vacation."

"Something we can agree on," Xander said. "Riding, and then take those .22's out to that cove you mentioned later for some shooting?"

"Sounds good. _After_ we clean up," Cordelia stated, starting to stand up from the table.

Faith nodded, already pushing her chair back. "I'll go get the plates and stuff from outside."

**...**

_**Sunday September 6, 1998; Chase family vacation cabin at Lake Cachuma, night.**_

Doing her best to tune out the soft voices from Cordelia and Xander's room, Faith slid under the covers, yawning. Despite her statement of the night before, she realized that there was a large part of her that wasn't looking forward to going back to Sunnydale. Not looking forward to getting back to the daily grind of vampires, demons, vampire narcotics, and Slayer life. Not even the weirdness of the barely remembered dream-visions put much of a dent in her enjoyment of the last few days. Supernatural strangeness was already enough of a part of her life already that a little more didn't really phase her.

Other hand, she did kind of look forward to training and all of the other things that went with it, including the near constant adrenaline rush that slaying gave her.

She was going to miss the horses, though. Faith kind of doubted they'd let her keep one at her motel.

Putting thoughts of dream lives, portents, visions, disappearing caves, and everything else from her mind, she let herself drift towards sleep, enjoying the background murmur of her friend's voices and autumn crickets from outside.

_... Flames lit the walls of the small side cavern, dancing along the ceiling and floor until the darkness at the back of the cave swallowed them, turning to shadows, and then to blackness. Faith stood a few yards from the ancient medicine wheel, watching curiously as a dark figure kneeling beside it rattled something in his hand._

_"Greetings, ada m oma," Lugombe said, glancing up at her from his position by the wheel._

_"Hey," Faith said, nodding. She walked slowly over to join him, kneeling carefully at the opposite edge of the wheel across from the old man. Not man? "Might of figured you were behind all this."_

_"Hardly," Lugombe said, chuckling softly. "You give me far too much credit, I'm afraid."_

_Faith watched as he threw what looked like small, carved bones into the circle, scrutinizing them carefully before scooping them back up. The painted designs and pictographs along the cavern walls and ceiling danced at the edges of her peripheral vision, freezing in place whenever she looked at them directly. Their configurations were ever the same, ever different, ever changing._

_"Cut the crap, guy," Faith said, finally. "You dragged me into your dream world a few days ago. Then you sent all of us those crazy dream visions."_

_He glanced up, and a pair of black, impenetrable eyes gazed back into hers. His face split suddenly into a wide, white grin. "Ah. __That__ I can claim, at least in part."_

_"'K," Faith said. "So, like, what's the deal, guy? Just like screwing with my head, or got something more in mind?"_

_"No fate but what you make," Lugombe said, solemnly. His sombre tone was offset by the wide grin and his dancing eyes. "You are what you choose. Choose, and choose again."_

_"Right," Faith scowled. "Riddles and crap. I don't do riddles real well."_

_He sobered suddenly, his eyes growing softer. "Apologies, ada m oma. There is no 'clear' in these things, I'm afraid." He threw the bones out again, looked them over and scooped them back up. "Only possibilities and crossroads. And doorways."_

_Opening his hand, he showed her the bone cubes on his palm, then closed his hand. When he opened it again, his palm was empty. "The bones are there, and then they're not. Both are possible, both are not."_

_"Right," Faith said again._

_He shook his head. "We met, and paths opened. You took one, and more opened based on that path," he said. "Others closed to you from that simple act." He spread his hands - both of them empty - and gestured around them at the cavern, "And then you came __here__ and opportunity opened to let you glimpse some of those possibilities. That which might be, that which was, and that which may be elsewhere. Or else__when__." His hand moved and he threw the suddenly reappearing bones out into the wheel once more._

_"Uh huh," Faith said, her voice skeptical. "Like Xan said, if we don't remember any of this, what does it matter?"_

_"But you will. Here," Lugombe's arm seemed to stretch while not growing at all as he reached across to touch Faith's forehead between the eyes, "Where memory lives, and here," he tapped her on the chest over her heart. "Where it matters, in your blood and bone."_

_"Still not clicking for me," Faith pushed her hair back from her face with both hands, a frustrated gesture. "Think maybe you could muddy that up a bit?"_

_"I suspect I already have sufficiently," Lugombe laughed. "Even I have limits, and rules I follow. I open paths - it is you who must choose to pick one, or not to. I present lessons - you must learn or not."_

_"Huh," Faith scowled. "Thanks much, guy." Cocking her head slightly, she narrowed her eyes at him. "So, like, you're saying we'll remember all of this down in our subconscious and shit, even if we don't up here," she said, tapping her temple with one finger._

_"You have the possibility to, rather," he said, nodding. "Where none existed before."_

_"__That's__ a big help," Faith remarked. Her tone was sour, as was her expression._

_"But it __is__ subtle," Lugombe said. The wide grin came across his face again, teeth flashing in the firelight, and Faith fond herself grinning back at him._

_"Yeah, well, it is that," she said. "I'll give you that much."_

_"There are powers and portents surrounding the slayer, and those who would be powers," he said. "And those like me who are powers no longer. Subtlety is a thing to be cultivated."_

_"Uh huh," Faith said. "And like, tricksters are kinda subtle anyway, just because."_

_"There is that," Lugombe said, laughing. "When rocking boats, it's best to use small movements," he told her, his eyes twinkling._

_"So, we just get a nudge here and there," Faith stated, "And the rest of the time we're supposed to blunder around in the dark and hope we choose good or some shit?"_

_"Like everyone else," he said. "Only now, you have a chance to __know__ when you bump into choices in the dark."_

_Faith nodded. She pulled the small medallion out of her back pocket, studying it in the firelight. "Changes of fortunes, right?"_

_"For good or for ill, yes." He looked at her soberly, rings glinting in the firelight that danced across his features and threw strange shadows over his robes and cloak._

_She glanced up at him slyly. "So, which ones were real?" Faith asked, not figuring she'd get a straight answer. She wasn't disappointed..._

"_Both," Lugombe said, his eyes twinkling. "And neither, maybe. That would be telling, I'm afraid."_

_"Figured. Oh well - should be quite a ride," Faith said, nodding. Putting the amulet back in her pocket, she felt herself fading from the dream cavern and into the depths of sleep. "Might as well stick around for it... "_

Mumbling softly under her breath, a slight frown touched the edges of Faith lips as she burrowed deeper into her bedding. Deep and dreamless sleep claimed her and dragged her under until morning.


	9. Days of Futures Not: Epilogue

**Days of Futures Not: Epilogue -**

_**From the personal Journals of Rupert Giles, Watcher:**_

_As I have a number of hours remaining before I must hasten to the Sacramento airport to rendezvous with my plane back to Sunnydale, at least a part of the time may as well be spent in in updating this journal._

_While it has been rather a busy week, all in all, I cannot help but feel some satisfaction at the amount of things accomplished within that relatively short span of time._

_Following up on the previous joint progress made towards readying the new training area, Willow and Oz have put in remarkable efforts of their own during the absence of Faith, Cordelia, and Xander on their vacation sojourn. I begin to feel confident that this endeavor will bear fruit shortly into the beginning of the new school year._

_As well, I am somewhat heartened by my meeting with young Willow's prospective magic teacher. Upon speaking with her as extensively as time allowed, Lirio seems to have an excellent grasp of the principles of both magic and witchcraft, and to have an appreciation for the difficulties inherent in training an untutored and mostly unstructured wild mage such as Willow. She also come highly recommended by Althenea of the Council coven. While it has not been my pleasure to know Althenea well, it has been my observation that she is quite expert in her field, and her recommendations carry quite a bit of weight in the community of magic practitioners._

_I can only choose to be hopeful that whatever damages caused by Willow's interrupted training following the death of Jenny Calendar, and her subsequent unstructured explorations into magecraft, are easily remedied. I must note that upon their return to my library, as I had requested, perusing the titles of some of the tomes Willow's self study regimen took her through were rather alarming to me. There are some branches and pathways through magic that even an expert in the craft should undertake with grave trepidation, much less a novice in the arts who is quite unprepared for the subtle and gross dangers a practitioner may face. While commendable as a trait, Willow's natural curiosity and drive for learning can also be a hazard to her that I fear she does not fully appreciate._

_I would not see her proceed down some of the darker paths into the arts that I traveled in my youth, driven in her case by curiosity and a sincere desire to be helpful rather than my own darker rebellion and nature. The dark arts have little care for what __motivates__ one to enter them, only that one __does__ so. _

_(As an aside, it occurs to me, rather belatedly I fear, to wonder whatever became of Jenny Calendar's own books on magecraft and her Book of Shadows. I am certain that a practitioner of her caliber must have had such... )_

_On other home front topics, as it were, I am not displeased to see my new Slayer and her cohorts take some time away from the Hellmouth to recuperate and enjoy themselves. Given the nature of the shadowy state of almost constant warfare we must needs endure, any brief moments that can be snatched away from the battles should be treasured when they arise. As well, it is my hope that the three of them can use some of the time away to talk out some of the strains that may have arisen during their conflict with the purveyors of that rather obscene sounding vampire narcotic. Notably the potential strain between Faith and young Harris over Faith's tentative semi alliance with the vampire Shelia. I would not care to see the emerging partnership between the three teenagers fall by the wayside, especially considering the detrimental effects I fear that would have on young Faith._

_I should, I suppose, have more trepidation over Faith's formation of that tentative and quite unconventional alliance, however temporary it may prove. However, having listened to Faith's reasoning on her choices in the matter, and having spoken with her on it following the events, I come away feeling that this is a considerably different situation than Buffy's dalliances with the souled Angelus._

_Quite honestly, while I do have some reservations over Faith's judgment and stability in certain areas, her 'people' judgment as it were is not one of those. Based upon my own impressions of her reasoning and her attitudes on the situation, I am reasonably certain that her decisions are not made from a perspective that's blinded by sentiment. (Quite the contrary. 'Sentiment', I fear, is one thing that Faith is probably least likely to be blinded by. She is far more likely to be blinded by her own wariness and reserved nature into not trusting when she possibly should, than in trusting too well when she shouldn't.) Unfortunately, and it grieves me to state this, the exact opposite applies to Buffy Summers: I was never able to rid myself of the certainty that her judgment on Angelus was completely motivated by sentimental impressions based upon what she wished to see, rather than on cold appraisals of what was actually there._

_It must also be stated that my own observations of the former Shelia Martini fascinate me, as does my understanding of the interactions between the vampire and the others that I was not present for. It is rare, at least in my awareness, for a vampire to be able to put aside his/her bloodlust in order to act upon other motivations, and yet that does seem to be the case in this situation. While I shan't pretend to assume that there are any altruistic motivations involved - and indeed, the young vampiress herself states emphatically that her motivations are purely based upon self interest and her own entertainment - there remain some anomalies that aren't completely consistent with a purely self-interest motivation, at least upon surface examination._

_Watcher histories and observations are quite clear upon the nature of vampires and vampirism, with numerous documented observances to base both theory and practice upon. And yet, the more I am exposed to observations in the field as opposed to academic studies, the more I find myself wondering if we indeed have a complete picture of that which we are sworn to fight. While the vast majority of vampires do seem to conform to the creatures depicted within our chronicles, there are often anomalies that aren't easily explained._

_I also have some thoughts upon whether the siring of a vampire at the cusps of the three nights of St. Vigeous may have some effects upon the nature of the beast that arises. Also whether the atypical nature of a sire such as Drusilla may have any effect upon the progeny. To the best of my knowledge, no formal attempts have ever been made to correlate mystical events and the natures of siring vampires with the observed natures of their vampiric offspring. This is something that I shall have to follow up upon in my researches once I again have access to my books and materials._

_Regarding my current travels to obtain first hand observations of the two newly discovered Potential slayers, I shall merely note a few passing observations. A much more detailed account has already been chronicled in my official journals for later transcription and forwarding to the Council offices._

_The second Potential here in Sacramento, one Ashley Caldwell, age fourteen, seems to be a typical blonde California teenager. Indeed, given her family and schooling situation, she appears to me quite as I picture Buffy Summers must have when she was first encountered by Merrick Jamison-Smythe a few years back. Not quite the same nature, of course: Miss Caldwell appears to be a rather studious and athletic teen with a promising future in track and field or academics, or both, should she so choose. Given that the mystical appraisal of the Devon Coven indicates that she is unlikely to be in line to be Chosen, it will be my recommendation that she be left in place as she is rather a bit badly placed to be taken in and trained under a formal Watcher apprenticeship. My impressions of her family indicate to me that they are at best likely to be unreceptive to approach by the Council, as well._

_The other newly discovered Potential, the one in Monterey, seems to be a situation of somewhat of a different nature. Erin Whittaker, age sixteen, and currently in the custody of the State of California's foster care system following the death of her parents and younger sibling in an automotive accident two years ago. Having been able to utilize the documentation provided to me by the Council to gain access to the state foster care placement facility where she is currently in residence, and to speak with her, briefly, it is my opinion that young Miss Whittaker's lot could only be improved by placement into a Watcher's care. (Not that I necessarily believe that the facilities in my own country for the care of orphaned teens are better, but my perusal of the State facility here leaves me with as great an impression of distaste as that which I have developed for what passes for institutions of public "education" in this benighted country.)_

_Which brings me to yet another area of personal disquietude. While not perfect by any means, my studies of the Watcher and Slayer chronicles have indicated to me that it is a rarity to have a potential slayer that escapes discovery by the Council and/or Coven well into their late adolescence. Buffy Summers was considered to have been an anomaly in remaining completely undiscovered until __after__ her Calling._

_And yet, we have not one, but several Potentials who within a relatively brief span of time remained so, __three__ of them within a relatively small geographic area. The fourth, Faith, remained undiscovered until roughly a year before she was Called, by her own accounts and the Council's. Also, we have a missing active Slayer who appears to be completely impervious to Council efforts to locate her, said efforts both mundane and mystical in nature._

_In the wake of Buffy Summers' - or more properly, Xander Harris' - equally unprecedented flaunting of a supposedly ironclad Prophecy, it leaves me to wonder if we are not entering into an era where the ancient rules no longer hold quite the sway that they once did. Anomalous vampires, broken prophecy, mislaid Slayers, a rash of undiscovered Potentials... I find myself oft minded of the words of Yeats: "Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; and Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world". Living in a realm where superstition is often the best and most likely answer to a dilemma, rather than something to be discounted with a sneer, it is almost enough to make one wonder whether some force is moving about deliberately disrupting the staid designs that normally comprise the workings of the world about us, both seen and unseen._

_Let us hope that whatever hand may be at work is guided by something more benevolent than beings with "a gaze blank and pitiless as the sun", for all of our sakes._

_- Rupert Giles, Watcher; In this Year of Our Lord 1998, Monday, September the 7th._

**The End**

_**To be Continued in the Alternate BtVS Season 3 Episode 1: "Terminate and Stay Resident"**_


End file.
